This simple dish that has become popular thanks to TikTok, has now garnered a place on the dinner table. Sometimes you might want to save it to eat at a later time and we have discovered the steps on what you should do to freeze and defrost your baked feta pasta.
To freeze baked feta pasta, make sure to cool the dish completely before storing. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze it within 2 hours of cooking. To defrost, leave it inside the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
Freezing leftover dishes is a great way to keep food like pasta fresh for your next meal. Keep reading as we talk about how you can store your baked feta pasta and give you tips on how to make this recipe even better.
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How To Freeze And Defrost Baked Feta Pasta
This recipe was such a hit on social media, that everyone seemed compelled to try it at least once. This baked feta cheese pasta is a quick one pan dish that became popular over TikTok because of its easy preparation and taste.
This ever popular baked feta pasta is best eaten fresh and piping hot from the oven, but you can definitely make it ahead of time. Of course, the texture might be different when it's not freshly made, but it will still be as delicious.
Before we get started on freezing and defrosting the baked feta pasta, let's get right to cooking it first. The recipe is simple and you can do everything in a small baking pan.
Ingredients:
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 8-10 cloves of garlic (or more, depending on your taste), chopped
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 tbsp. oregano (or Italian seasoning)
- 1 block (8 oz.) feta cheese
- 1/2 lb. pasta (any kind you like)
- chili flakes, basil, parsley, or any herbs you'd like to add
- extra parmesan cheese
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a 9x13 baking dish, place the cherry tomatoes and garlic together.
- Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and chili flakes (if adding) and mix them together thoroughly.
- Make some space in the middle of the cherry tomatoes and place the block of feta in the middle.
- Drizzle olive oil and season with oregano, pepper, and salt on top of the feta cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, and turn on the broiler and broil the dish for an extra 5 more minutes.
- While the sauce is baking, cook the pasta according to package directions.
- After baking, take the tray out and mash the tomatoes and feta cheese. Mix them together until it forms a thick sauce.
- Add the cooked pasta and mix them together. If you prefer, you can add more cheese to the pasta and add fresh herbs as garnish.
Freezing Baked Feta Pasta
If you would like to freeze your baked feta pasta, you will need airtight storage containers. Make sure that the containers are freezer-safe to prevent it from cracking when you take it out to be defrosted.
Check out these airtight freezer-safe containers on Amazon.
To freeze the baked feta pasta, make sure to cool it down completely. Carefully transfer the dish to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze within 2 hours of making the pasta dish.
Label the container with the date, and make sure to eat it within 2 months of storage.
Defrosting Baked Feta Pasta
To defrost the frozen baked feta pasta, all you need to do is take it out of the freezer and leave it inside the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Do not leave it to thaw on the counter as it may cause the dish to go bad.
Once it is defrosted, cook the pasta in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir the pasta gently, and you may need to add a little milk to loosen the pasta sauce a little. Make sure to heat the pasta all the way through.
Thawed pasta must be consumed within 24 hours. Do not refreeze previously frozen food to avoid food contamination that can make you get sick.
Storing Leftover Baked Feta Pasta
Ideally, this pasta dish is best eaten fresh and hot right out of the oven. The pasta will be al dente and chewy and the feta cheese sauce mixes well together with the pasta.
However, it is inevitable to eat everything in one sitting. If you find that you have some leftover baked feta pasta, you can simply store it in the refrigerator. Just transfer the cooled pasta dish to an airtight food container before storing.
To reheat chilled baked feta pasta, just cook it in a saucepan over medium heat while gently stirring. You might find that the sauce might have split a little bit after chilling, so add a little milk to pull the sauce together.
Can I Make Less Pasta So I Don't Have To Freeze?
If you find that the proportions of the baked feta pasta is too much for you to cook in one go, you can definitely make less so you won't have leftovers. The recipe is adjustable depending on how much you can consume.
Split the recipe in half if you'd like to cook the baked feta pasta good for just one or two people. You can double it if you need to cook for a bigger group. The recipe instructions remain the same (but do check from time to time when cooking.)
How Can I Make Baked Feta Pasta Better?
There are a number of ways how you can make this dish better. While these suggestions work better when it is freshly baked, you can also try these ideas when reheating thawed out pasta.
- To make your baked feta pasta creamier, add 1/4 cup of heavy cream after you've mashed the tomatoes and feta cheese together. The heavy cream will thicken up the sauce beautifully to make it rich and creamy.
- Add parmesan cheese to add an extra layer of cheese flavor to the baked feta cheese pasta.
- If you find that the pasta sauce comes out dry or crumbly after baking, add a little bit of hot starchy pasta water to it. Mix well until you reach your desired consistency.
- For those who prefer a smoother sauce, you can use a stick blender to blend the tomatoes and feta cheese together after baking.
- Cherry tomatoes and feta cheese are two ingredients that are quite tart. If you find that the sauce tastes too tart for you, simply add about a teaspoon of sugar to balance out the flavors. You can also use some honey if you prefer the taste.
- Adding sweet vegetables like bell peppers and onions can also enhance the sweetness of this dish.
- Feta cheese might taste salty as it is, but it can get bland when it gets cooked with the tomatoes. Don't forget to season the tomatoes and feta cheese before baking.
- Add a new dimension of flavors to your pasta dish by adding creamy ingredients like cream cheese. You can also amp up the flavor by adding more herbs and spices to the dish.
Wrapping Things Up
While baked feta cheese pasta can definitely be frozen, your meal will be better off eaten right away, or simply stored in the refrigerator. This way, it won't affect the quality of your feta cheese, and your dish will taste better than freezing it.
Are you looking to know more about freezing pasta or its ingredients? We have a few articles that might interest you:
