Storing Home Made Pasta

[Andy M.]

I made my first batch of pasta last night. I used a Mario Batali recipe made with 4C flour, 5 eggs, EVOO. There was a lot of dough. using some of the dough to clean the doers on the new pasta maker, I made enough fettuccine for the two of us and froze the rest in a flattened disk shape.

I have read conflicting information. Some sources say you have to freeze pasta made with egg and others say it's OK to dry it and store it without refrigeration.

What's the true story?

 

[Addie]

The next time you go to the supermarket, take a look at the dried pasta in the clear cellophane packages and look at the ingredients. If I remember right, Just flour and eggs, with salt.

 

[medtran49]

I've stored pasta in that manner before until I learned to cut down on the amounts. About the only one that gets frozen now is a spinach pasta dough, only because it's a little more complicated to make. The dough has always done fine, just let it thaw and come back to room temp. Unless you've gots lots of freezer space and can afford the room for hard-sided containers, don't try to shape it and freeze. Homemade pasta will get brittle when shaped and break in a plastic bag.

 

[Andy M.]

I've stored pasta in that manner before until I learned to cut down on the amounts. About the only one that gets frozen now is a spinach pasta dough, only because it's a little more complicated to make. The dough has always done fine, just let it thaw and come back to room temp. Unless you've gots lots of freezer space and can afford the room for hard-sided containers, don't try to shape it and freeze. Homemade pasta will get brittle when shaped and break in a plastic bag.

So you're saying I should freeze it rather than drying and storing at room temp?

 

[medtran49]

That's what I'd do. If you dry it, it becomes dried pasta instead of fresh and kind of defeats the purpose. I've never tried shaping, drying storing at room temp, don't know that I would trust that.

 

[Andy M.]

That's what I'd do. If you dry it, it becomes dried pasta instead of fresh and kind of defeats the purpose. I've never tried shaping, drying storing at room temp, don't know that I would trust that.

That was my original question.

 

[GotGarlic]

Pathogens need moisture to grow. If it's completely dry, it should be fine. I can't say for sure, though.

 

[taxlady]

I have made, shaped, and dried pasta. It got curly. It took an enormous amount of space in the hard sided containers. OTOH, it tasted the same as when it was fresh. I didn't use eggs in the dough.

I posted about it six years ago: http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f17/pasta-drying-problem-69159.html#post950791

 

[Rocklobster]

I would think longer, finer, noodles like spaghetti and fettuccine would break up after a while if frozen. Shorter noodles like penne and rigatoni would seem fine...let us know how it works out...

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

When I make fresh pasta (100g of semolina to 1 large egg and a pinch of course salt will yield about 2 servings for us), I make pretty thick fetticcine on the KA attachment or I hand cut my own version of tagliatelle (and I also make rather thick ravs, filled with a cheese mixture).

But I would agree with Med on the point of air drying pasta, IMHO, would defeat the whole purpose of making fresh pasta.

For me, I make fresh pasta, cut, shape it, which ever and then if I've made too much (when I make ravs, I'll do a minimum of 7 dozen), I portion it out in freezer bags and keep it in the deep freeze, or in the `fridge for no more than a day (it tends to turn color after a day in the `fridge). I'm guessing that because I cut my strands of pasta rather thick (and the ravs a rock solid after freezing), I don't get too much breakage.

 

[Andy M.]

OK then. What am I supposed to do with this?

 

[GotGarlic]

You could use it to dry your hankies.

 

[di reston]

Andy, you're wooden stick device is very for drying out tagliatelle/fettuccine. They have to be thoroughly dried before storing. Here, In the restaurants they hang them on washing lines to do that job. Not drying - perhaps freezing - gives good results too, but scatter them with a dusting of flour before putting them into the freezer. However the preference is to make a batch sufficient for immediate needs so's it gets used right away. I get the idea that that's not the American way, but there's nothing wrong with that at all.

di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde

 

[Andy M.]

Andy, you're wooden stick device is very for drying out tagliatelle/fettuccine. They have to be thoroughly dried before storing. Here, In the restaurants they hang them on washing lines to do that job. Not drying - perhaps freezing - gives good results too, but scatter them with a dusting of flour before putting them into the freezer. However the preference is to make a batch sufficient for immediate needs so's it gets used right away. I get the idea that that's not the American way, but there's nothing wrong with that at all...

Thank you. I received the pasta maker, drying rack and crimping roller as Christmas gifts. I made some pasta the other night and made fettuccine alfredo. I had a lot of dough left over and froze it as a block.

Is it OK to dry and store pasta at room temperature that's been made with eggs?

 

[sparrowgrass]

I do, and I am not dead yet. Just make sure it is thoroughly dry. I store mine in a paper bag.

 

[di reston]

In answer to you question 'is it alright to store pasta that's been made with eggs at room temperature'? Yes, so long as it's really thoroughly dried all the way through. Cooking times increase, of course.

di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde

 

[taxlady]

Andy, I find it is helpful to hang pasta for a little while before cooking it fresh. It's less likely to clump in the pot.

You can also find out if you and your S.O. think there is much, if any, difference between your homemade fresh pasta and your homemade dried pasta.

Personally, I think I will be freezing the dough in the future. I will freeze it in smaller portions.

 

[Addie]

Thank you. I received the pasta maker, drying rack and crimping roller as Christmas gifts. I made some pasta the other night and made fettuccine alfredo. I had a lot of dough left over and froze it as a block.

Is it OK to dry and store pasta at room temperature that's been made with eggs?

Andy, growing up in the Northeast winter weather can be treacherous when it comes to drying clothes. As a child, not every home had a clothes dryer. But they all had a wooden clothes rack. It doubled as a pasta hanger in the Italian homes in my neighborhood. I have one that I bought more than 15 years ago.
Tower Airer Clothes Drying Rack by Moerman Americas in Indoor Drying Racks

Works great for drying pasta also. I have some hospital wipes Winthrop sent me when I had the Noro Virus. I mainly use the rack for clothes. But when I want to dry pasta, I wipe each bar down with the antiseptic wipes.

There are times when I need to do laundry, but don't have a roll of quarters. And there is no change machine here. So I use my hoarded five quarters for the washer and then dry them on the rack.

 

[Missie Leigh]

I make pasta all the time. I have a drying rack, and I dry it overnight then put it in an airtight container and keep it in the cabinet. I've always used it within a month so I know it stays fresh at least that long.