Recipe: Freezing and Thawing Lasagna and Stuffed Shells

Hi Cathy,

If you leave your filled pasta uncovered or covered loosely when thawing you may have less of a problem with water on top. If you get condensation inside the cover as the pasta thaws it can drip down onto it. If you see condensation inside a lid, lift it straight up to keep the water on the lid and then tilt the lid over the sink to pour out the water or dry it with a towel.

When assembling a lasagna you're going to freeze work with all cooled ingredients. Layering hot sauce into the dish can cause the cheese to water.

Check out your sauce too. If it's too thin it can get watery when it thaws. Try making a thicker sauce by simmering longer or adding tomato paste.

Refrigerate your lasagna to get it fully chilled before freezing. Freezing it hot or warm can produce extra moisture.

If your filling is too watery, you can strain just the cheese used in the filling (ricotta, cottage cheese, etc.) by setting it in a strainer over a bowl in the refrigerator for a while, even overnight.

Before freezing lasagna I like to prebake it half-way and refrigerate until cold before freezing. I think this method cooks out some of the moisture and also makes for a quicker dinner later. I thaw the lasagna in the refrigerator before baking the rest of the way. I sometimes freeze it without the shredded cheese on top, adding it after it thaws, then bake. I freeze stuffed shells the same way (in a baking dish with sauce, baked halfway).

I hope that's a help. I'm sure many of our visitors have frozen stuffed pasta and maybe they'll have more tips for us both!

Happy Cooking!

Betsy