Freezing Cooked Pasta

I usually make too much pasta when I am serving spaghetti, not wanting to run short. I never know if the child who ate two plates full last week will do so again this time.

An Italian friend who owns a restaurant shared this secret. They make large quantities, drain it, and put it in the cooler to use as it's ordered. All they do is keep a pot of water simmering. When they get an order, they take out as much pasta as needed, dip it into the boiling water, drain and put in on the plate.

I have started doing that with my leftover pasta. In fact, I sometimes intentionally cook up extra to have ready for a quick meal. I freeze the leftovers in serving size bags and just put the frozen pasta in the boiling water long enough to heat it, which is not very long. It tastes good, and there is no waste.

By Sandy from Elon, NC