How to store fresh pasta: 3 effective solutions

Pasta is best when you make it fresh, without a doubt. The fact is, fresh pasta is ten times better than store bought pasta. Freshly made pasta cooks faster, tastes better and you can decide what size and shape that you want.

However, in order to enjoy it, it is crucial for you to know how to store fresh pasta. This will allow you to enjoy it for months.

In this article, Couponupto will walk you through the whole process of how to store fresh pasta to make it last longer.

Let’s find out together, shall we?

1. What is fresh pasta?

Fresh pasta is pasta made out of freshly made dough. The ingredients are pretty basic, just flour and some eggs. Traditionally, pasta makers would dump the flour out of the counter top, make a well in the center of the flour, add the eggs and then mix it up and then knead until forming a nice piece of dough.

After letting it rest for 30 minutes minimum, the dough will be taken out, rolled with a rolling pin and cut into chef’s required shapes, either with a knife or a pasta machine.

Everything should be made by hand. However, you can speed up the process and save some energy by using a food processor or a stand mixer to mix the ingredients.

2. Why should you store fresh pasta correctly?

The reason why you should know how to store fresh pasta is because unlike store bought pasta, fresh pasta is not dehydrated. With all that amount of moisture, as well as the raw eggs that are exposed to the air, fresh pasta should only be consumed within one day.

If you store them correctly, they can last for up to a few months and can still taste fresh.

3. How to store fresh pasta

There are various ways for various people on how to store fresh pasta correctly. However, these are some of the most common methods to store fresh pasta, making it last longer and can still taste fresh:

3.1. Store your fresh pasta in the fridge

The easiest way is to store your pasta in the fridge, in an airtight container. The low temperature in the fridge will slow down the spoiling process. This way your pasta can last for the next 2 to 3 days.

If possible, you can put the pasta in a zip lock bag and vacuum seal it. This can extend the expiry date for up to 4 to 5 days. However, the quality and the taste will not be guaranteed if you leave it that long.

3.2. Freeze the pasta dough

This is our highest recommendation in terms of how to store fresh pasta. You can wrap the unused pasta dough in a plastic wrap, place it in an airtight jar or any container that you have. It is best that the dough would fit the container perfectly. Then place the container in the freezer.

As always, you can replace the airtight container with a vacuum sealed zip lock bag. This method will help your pasta last for up to a month.

Leave the frozen dough in the fridge overnight to defrost before the next usage.

3.3. Freeze fresh pasta noodles

In case you have already cut out all your pasta dough, you can still freeze the pasta noodle to keep it fresh longer.

Toss the noodles with a little bit of flour to prevent sticking. After that, you can either spread the noodles evenly on a piece of parchment paper on a baking tray or form them into little nests. Leave them for 1 hour to dehydrate.

After that, put the pasta into a vacuum sealed ziploc bag or an airtight container, and then place them in the freezer. You can use the frozen pasta straight away from the freezer. Just put them into the boiling water.

3.4. Dry the fresh pasta

Another trick to store fresh pasta longer is to dry them prior to placing them in the fridge. You can dry any type of pasta, from spaghetti to fettuccine to lasagna sheets. Just follow these simple steps and you are good to go:

- Toss the pasta with flour to prevent sticking. You can use any type of flour that is available in your kitchen. From corn starch, potato starch to all-purpose flour.

- Spread the pasta evenly on a baking tray or a drying rack

- Place the pasta tray away from the sun, uncovered in an unheated oven or the counter top.

- The pasta should take from 12 to 24 hours to fully dry. You can test the texture of the pasta. If it snaps, it is ready.

- Put the dry pasta into an airtight container or a vacuum sealed ziploc bag and place it in the fridge.

This will help your pasta last in the pantry for more than six months.

4. Conclusion

Here is the answer to the question of how to store fresh pasta. We hope that through this article, you have understood more about pasta storing methods. For now, thank you so much for reading. We hope you have a great day!!!