Cooking 101: Can You Freeze Cooked Pasta Noodles?

Pasta, pasta, pasta. It must have been invented for college cooking. It can be purchased with pocket change, is hearty, and so incredibly easy to prepare. But it can seem like an eternity waiting for the water to boil.

One solution is to heat the cooking water in a kettle before pouring it in the pot (I know…mind blowing stuff here at the cafe). Or, cook extra pasta and freeze the leftover noodles so they can be re-heated in the microwave. Here are a few tips to consider when freezing cooked pasta noodles.

Step 1: Cook to “al” what?

The term “al dente” means cooking pasta so it’s still firm when bitten. You’ll want that extra firmness when freezing pasta because the it’ll become slightly softer when you heat it again.

How do you cook pasta noodles to “al dente’ perfection? I follow the directions on the package. Hasn’t failed me yet. Some packages also include how much salt to add to the water. Follow what the package says. It’ll ensure your pasta is properly seasoned. I’ve noticed my pasta dishes taste much better when I read the fine print.

Step 2: Freeze Flat

Before freezing cooked pasta noodles, toss them with a small amount of olive oil to keep them from sticking.

Place in a zip lock bag and flatten the bag as much as possible. As long as the pasta is flat you’ll be able to easily snap it to fit inside a bowl when it’s frozen stiff. No ice clumps either!

Use a sharpie to label the bag and date it before sending it to the freezer. Helps answer the question “how long has this been in there?” when you notice it a month from now :).