Can you freeze spaghetti bolognese?
In this article, we will answer the question “Can you freeze spaghetti bolognese?”, and how to freeze spaghetti bolognese?
Can you freeze spaghetti bolognese?
Yes, you can freeze spaghetti bolognese. Freezing extends the shelf-life of the sauce up to 3 months. Some people like to freeze pasta and sauce separately. However, you can also store the leftovers of the pasta tossed in the bolognese sauce.
How to freeze spaghetti bolognese?
Freezing spaghetti bolognese is fairly simple. All you have to do is to follow the steps detailed below to safely freeze the spaghetti bolognese.
Cook spaghetti bolognese
Boil the pasta and cook the bolognese sauce as per the recipe instructions. Leave the pasta slightly undercooked. This will prevent the pasta from becoming mushy and soggy after thawing and reheating. Read the instructions on how to perfectly cook pasta al-dente.
Leave to cool
Any cooked item should be allowed to come down to room temperature before you proceed to freeze it. The same goes for spaghetti bolognese. If not allowed to cool, the steam from the food will have no way to escape.
The condensed steam droplets inside the storage container will turn into ice crystals. These ice particles will damage the quality of the food while compromising food safety.
Freezing warm food raises the temperature inside the freezer. This puts the other frozen food at the risk of spoilage.
Place in container
Now it is time to divide the spaghetti bolognese into portions and put them in the container. You can use both freezer bags and air-tight containers.
Use freezer bags to store small portions as they can be stacked on top of each other and take up less space in the freezer. Opt for an air-tight container when you have a large batch of spaghetti bolognese to store.
Squeeze out the air and label
Squeeze out as much air as possible from the freezer bag before you chuck it in the freezer. This helps block the air and moisture contact and maximize the shelf-life. Besides, deflated freezer bags save freezer space.
Putting a clear label may seem trivial but it is a very important practice. It helps you in identifying the frozen food without having to make any vague guesses. Moreover, it helps keep track of the shelf-life of frozen food.
Freeze
Put the container in the coldest part of the freezer, which is the back of the freezer. A steady temperature with no temperature fluctuations plays a key role in the longevity of frozen food.
How long does frozen spaghetti bolognese last?
Spaghetti bolognese frozen in an air-tight container is best consumed within 3 months of storage.
The spaghetti bolognese remains safe to eat past 3 months of storage as long as it was stored correctly. However, the quality degrades quickly past 3 months.
The sauce turns into ice crystals as it loses moisture over time. These ice crystals may damage the texture of the pasta. After thawing, adjust the consistency of the sauce by adding a splash of broth, water, or some tomato paste.
How to make the best spaghetti bolognese?
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 rashers smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, trimmed and finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2-3 sprigs rosemary leaves picked and finely chopped
- 500g beef mince
For the bolognese sauce
- 2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes
- small pack basil leaves picked, ¾ finely chopped and the rest left whole for garnish
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 beef stock cube
- 1 red chili deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
- 125ml red wine
- 6 cherry tomatoes sliced in half
To season and serve
- 75g parmesan grated, plus extra to serve
- 400g spaghetti
- crusty bread to serve (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add 1tbsp olive oil and 4 finely chopped bacon rashers. Cook until the bacon turns nice and crispy.
- Then stir-fry the veggies including onions, carrots, celery sticks, garlic cloves, and the rosemary leaves on low heat for about 10 minutes.
- When the veggies soften, brown the meat for about 3-4 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, basil leaves, oregano, bay leaves, tomato puree, beef stock cube, red chili, red wine, and cherry tomatoes. Stir until everything is homogenous and plum tomatoes disintegrate.
- Bring this to a boil then let the sauce cook for 1 hour 15 minutes with a covered lid. Keep the flame low. Stir occasionally to prevent the sauce from burning.
- When the sauce is nice and thick, add in the parmesan and seasoning.
- Cook the spaghetti as per the instructions and serve as you like.
Other FAQs about Bolognese that you may be interested in.
How long does bolognese last in the fridge?
Can you eat bolognese without pasta?
Conclusion
In this article, we answered the question “Can you freeze spaghetti bolognese?”, and how to freeze spaghetti bolognese?
