How to Freeze Pasta Dough (The Right Way)

The pasta dough is the basis for delicious fresh pasta. However, the preparation is time-consuming, and to batch the work and save time, you might ask: Can you freeze pasta dough?

You can freeze pasta dough and keep it in the freezer for about two months. Roll out the dough into sheets about 1 cm thick to make thawing easier. Wrap them in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer bag, and squeeze out the air.

Here I show how I proceed when freezing pasta dough and how to avoid freezer burn.

Freezing pasta dough: This is how it works

Step 1: Halve or quarter the pasta dough

Once you have made fresh pasta dough, you can freeze it immediately. To do this, divide it into small pieces and roll them out individually. For example, I divide 750g of dough into four parts of the same size.

Step 2: Roll out the dough into 1-centimeter-thick sheets.

You can roll out the dough with a rolling pin or a pasta machine. I use my pasta machine and roll the dough several times through the first and largest setting.

Step 3: Wrap in cling film

Once the dough is rolled out at least 1 cm thin and the shape of the dough sheet is practical, I wrap it in cling film. This protects it from freezer burn and prevents multiple sheets of dough from sticking together when I layer them.

Step 4: Place in a freezer bag and squeeze out the air.

Once I wrap all the dough parts in cling film, I place them on top of each other in a freezer bag. Then I press the air out thoroughly and seal the bag. I also note the expiration date (today plus two months) and, if applicable, the approximate amount of dough in the bag. Voila! The dough is ready to be frozen.

Defrosting pasta dough – This is how it works

Step 1: Take the pasta dough out of the freezer bag.

To thaw the pasta dough, it’s best to get it out of the freezer bag but leave it wrapped in cling film to avoid drying the dough on the surface.

Step 2: Let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

You can also thaw the dough in the refrigerator for a gentle thaw. However, it works fine at room temperature. It took about 30 minutes for it to be ready to use. I then rolled it out several times with a pasta machine and used it for stuffed ravioli.

What pasta dough can you freeze?

I have frozen the following pasta doughs so far:

• Pasta dough with egg
• Pasta dough without egg with durum wheat
• Pasta dough with squid-ink
• Pasta dough with beetroot
• Pasta dough with spinach

So far, I had only had problems when I froze the dough as a ball. The pasta dough with beetroot turned brown. See this picture:

How long does pasta dough keep in the freezer?

If stored properly, pasta dough will keep in the freezer for two months. To avoid freezer burn, the dough must be wrapped airtight in cling film and placed in a freezer bag. Theoretically, You can store pasta dough this way for up to 6 months, but the longer the storage period, the higher the risk of freezer burn and loss of quality.

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