Pasta from Scratch: drying and storing your pasta

Introduction

If you choose to save your pasta for later, drying and storing it properly is an easy yet essential skill to learn.  If you simply want to cook your pasta later in the day, let it rest for 30 minutes then keep it in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. If you decide to cook your pasta right after letting it rest for 30 minutes, skip this blog and head to my next one, which is about cooking your pasta.

Drying

During the drying process, you can use a pasta frame with mesh. Just place the pasta on the frame and dry the pasta for about 15 hours depending on the thickness of the pasta and the air quality. However, a normal baking sheet is useful for drying, but you must rotate the pasta every so often to ensure all sides dry evenly. Do not clump the pasta together or it will take longer to dry. If you are drying long pasta like fettuccine, hang the pasta on a drying rack, which can be substituted for household items like a cloth drying rack or hanger. According to Manuela Zangara, “Keep the pasta in a dry but ventilated place so that it can dry without forming a superficial crust that will keep it damp on the inside,” (Zangara, 37).

I decided to place my farfalle on a baking sheet, making sure to rotate them once or twice every hour. Then, after drying for about 6 hours, I left them to sit overnight to finish the drying process. For my fettuccine, I created a home-made drying rack and hung it on a rod in my pantry. This was very effective in drying the pasta, but I recommend leaving a baking sheet directly under the drying rack because some of the pasta broke and unfortunately fell to the floor.

Storing

Place your dried pasta in a plastic bag to be stored in your pantry for up to one month. Stuffed pasta cannot be stored in the pantry. Place it in a ziplock bag in your refrigerator and it can be eaten within a day unless you decide to freeze it. Frozen pasta in a ziplock bag will last for two months, yet it must be completely dry because moisture will lead to mold.  



Resource:
Zangara, Manuela. Homemade Pasta Made Simple: a Pasta Cookbook with Easy Recipes & Lessons to Make Fresh Pasta Any Night. Rockridge Press, 2017.