Indeed, you can, in fact, freeze Bolognese sauce, with or without pasta. And easily do so as well.
Pasta Bolognese is one of my favorite dinner meals ever. It is a stable Friday dinner for my family. It simply brings me so much joy and fulfillment. That’s why, learning how to properly freeze Bolognese sauce was a must for me.
It allows me to cook one large batch every other week or every two weeks and store it in the freezer so that it is ready for reheating and serving.
There is nothing wrong with freezing leftover pasta Bolognese. However, if you have a chance to just freeze the sauce separately from the pasta, then go ahead and do it as pasta don’t tolerate freezing that well. In both cases, the sauce tends to retain its texture and amazing taste throughout the process of freezing.
How to freeze Bolognese sauce
Before you attempt to freeze your Bolognese sauce, keep in mind that freezing is best done when the Bolognese sauce is still fresh, whether it is store-bought or freshly made, so the fresher it is, the longer and the more it is going to retain its texture in the freezer. However, it can, in fact, last in the fridge for 2 to 3 days prior to freezing.
That in case you decided to change your mind and you want to keep your leftovers for a bit longer than intended. I mean, I always like to freeze even the littlest of leftovers left. It might come in handy later as, one delicious snack!
Here are all the steps you are going to need to efficiently freeze your flavorful Bolognese sauce:
- Before you place your Bolognese sauce in the freezer, you have to first make sure it is completely cool to at least room temperature. One good tip to do so easily if you are dealing with a large batch, is by spreading your pasta Bolognese on a baking tray and leaving it on the counter to cool down quickly.
- Divide your batch in to serving-sized portions. I like to do so that I can defrost just the portion I need without having to get the whole batch out of the freezer.
- Pour your divided portions of Bolognese sauce into separate plastic containers or freezer zip-lock bags. I prefer to use zip-lock bags so that they take up less space in my freezer once the sauce is spread flat. In both cases, don’t overfill the bag or the container with too much sauce as the sauce tends to expand when frozen.
- Label the container or the freezer bag with the date of freezing and its contents so that it is easier for you to later distinguish it from all the other food stored in the freezer.
How long can Bolognese sauce stay in the freezer?
Bolognese sauce can last in the freezer for up to 3 months if stored properly. It is technically healthy to be ingested after this period. However, don’t expect it to be at its best quality. It is enjoyable nonetheless.
Tips for freezing Bolognese sauce
- Any type of Bolognese sauce can be frozen, whether it is cream-based, fresh or frozen mince, beef mince, pork mince, even Quorn mince or lentils.
- Dolmio Bolognese sauce can be frozen, even if the jar was sealed and half the amount was used for cooking. You can freeze the other half.
- You can freeze Bolognese tomato sauce before adding the minced meat.
- Bolognese sauce with any type of pasta can be frozen, defrosted, and reheated.
How to defrost Bolognese sauce
I prefer to transfer my frozen Bolognese sauce from the freezer to the fridge and allow it to slowly defrost overnight without risking any bacterial contamination. That can happen if you rushed its thawing by placing it on the counter.
As a general rule, the larger the frozen portion, the longer it is going to take to completely defrost. That’s why, I like to freeze serving-sized portions so that it is easier to just defrost the portion I need, plus the fact that it won’t take too much time to defrost.
You can also adjust the microwave to “Defrost” settings and leave your Bolognese to defrost quickly. It won’t take longer than a few minutes.
Don’t worry if your Bolognese sauce came out a bit watery after thawing. Reheating it with constant mixing will help the sauce to be incorporated together.
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