Single Serving Freezer Pasta
My husband is super picky about texture and used to refuse to take leftovers for lunch because he didn’t like the mouth feel of reheated food. He prefers to eat a hot lunch most days, however, so since he also refuses to become a billionaire hedge fund manager, I had to find ways to pack him hot lunches that he would enjoy to prevent him from spending nearly $300/month eating out every day!
This pasta is one of the solutions I came up with and it’s a hit. Since all of the individual elements are cooked to al dente (or the lowest safe temperature for meat), flash frozen, and not combined until he heats it up in the microwave at work, it retains a freshness that is almost indistinguishable from a dish served hot off the stove.
It does take some time to prepare all of the ingredients, but I typically spend one Sunday afternoon a month prepping lunches with his help as sous chef, and then I don’t have to think about it again for several weeks.
This is less a recipe than a technique, but I have included links to recipes where they exist. Makes 5-8 servings, depending on your appetite and how many veggies you use.
Pasta — choose 1 (16 ounce package)
- Penne Rigate
- Farfalle
- Cavatappi
- Ziti
- Fusilli
Meat — choose 1 (1 pound)
- Chicken breast
- Beef steak
- Pork tenderloin
- Sausage (links or crumbled)
- Ham (baked, not deli)
Veggies — choose 1 or more
- Sauteed/roasted mushrooms
- Grilled eggplant
- Grilled squash
- Stir fried bell peppers
- Sauteed onions and peppers
- Steamed peas (any type)
- Steamed broccoli/cauliflower florets
- Steamed sliced carrots
Sauce — choose 1
- Pesto sauce
- Garlic scape pesto
- Alfredo sauce
- Cheddar cheese sauce
- Marinara
- Ginger garlic soy sauce
Recommended Pairings
-Fusilli with chicken, grilled squash, eggplant, and pesto sauce
-Cavatappi with steak, roasted mushrooms, broccoli, and cheese sauce
-Ziti with sausage, bell peppers, onions, and marinara
-Farfalle with ham, peas, and Alfredo sauce
-Penne with pork tenderloin, bell peppers, carrots, and ginger garlic soy sauce
To Prepare:
- Season and cook the meat according to your preference* and allow it to cool. Do not overcook the meat as it will be reheated later. Slice meat into bite-sized pieces and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet
- Season and lightly steam, grill, roast, saute, or stir fry your selected vegetables until crisp tender (cooked through but with a little bit of bite to them) and allow to cool. Chop into bite-sized pieces and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. You can also purchase pre-cooked frozen veggies (like these ones) at the grocery store and skip this step
- Bring salted water to a boil and cook your pasta to al dente according to the instructions on the package. Drain well. Toss lightly with olive or sesame oil and spread noodles out in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Flash freeze all ingredients by placing the baking sheets into the freezer for 2-4 hours until the ingredients are frozen solid
- Prepare the sauce. **See note below for further detail on how to store and incorporate various sauces.
- Once all ingredients are frozen, gather your individual portion size containers (preferably glass) and divide the pasta evenly between them. Top with veggies and meat, and add 2-3 frozen cubes of sauce to each container (unless using cheese sauce). Cover and freeze containers for up to 2 months.
- Remove from the freezer in the morning and store in an insulated lunch box or the office fridge until ready to eat. Pasta will begin to thaw
- When ready to heat, remove the lid from the dish. If using cheese sauce, pour the sauce over the pasta now and stir gently
- Microwave on high for 90 seconds or until the cubes of sauce thaw, then stir well to distribute the sauce. Continue microwaving until pasta is hot all the way through. Cook time will vary depending on the microwave
- If you have access to a kitchen, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium in a wok or frying pan and dump the pasta into it (do not add cheese sauce at this stage)
- Stir occasionally until pasta, veggies, and meat are thawed and sauce is distributed evenly if applicable
- Top with cheese sauce if using and continue stirring until pasta is heated through
Notes:
*I like to grill steak and sausage, and grill or broil chicken. Pork tenderloin can be grilled, cooked whole in the oven, or cut into bite-sized pieces and sauteed in a wok, with or without marinade. If you are going to use ham, it should have been baked in advance.
**Most of the time we use garlic scape pesto, which we make in bulk in the spring when garlic scapes are in season, freeze in ice cube trays, then store the individual cubes in a freezer bag. You can also use jar sauce and freeze it in ice cube trays for single serving use. Pesto, soy sauce, and marinara all freeze well. (Note: marinara may stain your plastic ice cube tray)
Alfredo and cheese sauce do not freeze well and will be greasy when thawed, so I do not recommend freezing those. Since they’re also the least healthy options, I rarely use them for this dish anyway, but if you are feeling indulgent, make the sauce on Sunday and refrigerate it to use in the coming week. Measure out 1/4 cup portions and package in separate containers from the pasta
