How to Store Fresh Pasta

Homemade pasta needs to be properly prepared for storage.

Properly storing your fresh homemade pasta is nearly as important as the pasta recipe itself. Whether you plan to eat it today or even several weeks from now, it's incredibly important that you store your pasta properly so it will be perfectly preserved.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Freshly prepared, cut pasta
• Refrigerator/freezer
• Sealable bags
• Permanent marker

Short-Term or Freezer Storage

1. Place your cut pasta on a non-stick surface. Small, rolled pastas can easily fit on a plate while longer pastas such as linguine or lasagna noodles should be hung on a drying rack, or placed on a tea towel or piece of wax paper. You can also bundle long pastas in nests. Just toss them with a bit of flour and gather a bundle into the nest shape to keep the noodles from sticking together.

2. Allow your pasta to dry for one hour. Test the dryness of your pasta to ensure that it's about as dry as the pasta you'd purchase in the refrigerated case at your local grocery store.

3. Place the dried pasta in a sealable bag and store in your refrigerator or freezer. Be sure to write the date on the bag so that you'll know how fresh your pasta is when you pull it out Refrigerated fresh pasta will last up to three days, while frozen fresh pasta should be consumed within three months.

Long-Term Storage

1. Follow the directions in Step 1 above.

2. Allow your pasta to dry for at least 24 hours. Make sure it is completely dry.

3. Place the dried pasta in a sealable bag, write the date on the bag and store it in your pantry.

Tips & Warnings

• Check that the pasta is dry enough that it will not stick together before placing in bags.

• Humidity can greatly affect the time it takes your pasta to dry.

References

• RecipeTips.com: Drying Pasta at Home

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish