You know homemade pasta is tastier than pasta made from a box, but fresh pasta can seem awfully ambitious on a busy weeknight. Fortunately, fresh pasta can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator or even frozen.

Store Pasta in Refrigerator

Fresh, uncooked pasta dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 18 hours. The dough can start to absorb moisture and oxidize turning it a greenish-gray color. The pasta is still safe to eat, but it’s not the most appetizing color. It’s better to use fresh pasta dough sooner and then freeze the cut pasta for later use. You can disguise the oxidation with red pasta sauce.

Store Pasta in the Freezer

Freeze pasta dough: Wrap the pasta dough tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. To use, defrost in the refrigerator for 1 day and roll out as usual.
Freeze cut pasta: After making, rolling, and cutting pasta. Leave the pasta to dry on the counter for about 20 minutes, or until it’s no longer tacky. Sprinkle the pasta with a dusting of flour to help reduce sticking. Then, gently twirl the cut pasta into nests, wrap it tightly in a plastic bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. This freezing method works with both regular and gluten-free pasta, although you may see more breakage with the gluten-free pasta.

Cooking Frozen Pasta

To cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and gently drop in the pasta nests. Gently stir the water to loosen the nest so it cooks evenly, the pasta will be finished cooking in 3-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pasta.