Can You Freeze Baked Ziti?

Baked ziti is a popular casserole with tubes of pasta combined with a Neapolitan-style marinara sauce characteristic of Italian-American cuisine. Given that it is so simple to make, you could easily cook too much ziti and have a lot of baked casserole leftovers.

How to Freeze Baked Ziti

When kept in the fridge, cooked ziti will keep for a week or so. Keeping baked ziti in the freezer will preserve it for up to 2 months or more as long as the freezing temperature remains steady. 

This is why freezing ziti is a great long-term option for avoiding waste. Here’s how to go about doing so:

1. Cook Ziti
   Prepare and cook your baked ziti according to your favourite recipe.
2. Allow to Cool
   Make sure you allow the baked ziti to cool completely before going into the freezer. 
3. Divide Into Portions
   Slice up your cooled baked ziti into single or double portions – this will prevent the need from having to defrost a huge slab of it when you want to next eat it. 
4. Lay Out Some Foil
   Get a few layers of aluminium foil and lay them out on your counter top. 
5. Scoop Out the Ziti
   Place your single or double servings out on to the foil and carefully wrap, being sure not to squash the ziti. 
6. Place Into a Bag
   Once the ziti has been wrapped, place the slices into a freezer safe bag and seal. 
7. Label and Freeze
   As always, label with the date of freezing and then slot into the freezer. 

3 Tips for Freezing Baked Ziti

Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing baked ziti to have the best results:

Cook All the Way Through
For the best results when defrosting, cook the ziti all the way through before freezing. If you only par-cook it, the pasta can become soggy during the second cook.  

Store Safely
If using freezer bags, make sure the bags are not squashed anywhere in the freezer or in a place where heavy items could fall onto them as this would squash the ziti. Alternatively, use glass containers to keep the ziti protected. 

Add Extra Sauce and Cheese
Once frozen and then thawed ready for its second cook, it may be worth adding some extra sauce or cheese on to ensure a lovely gooey texture when baking. 

How Long Can You Freeze Baked Ziti?

Freezing baked ziti will allow it to keep for up to 2 months or maybe more, depending on how reliable your freezer is! This is great if you have made large batches that won’t be used up quickly as baked ziti would only last a couple of days in the fridge. 

You Can Freeze Baked Ziti for up to 2 Months

How Do You Defrost Baked Ziti?

In order to defrost baked ziti effectively, simply remove your desired amount from the freezer and place it in the fridge overnight to thaw. This slow method of defrosting allows the baked ziti to maintain all of its delicious flavours and textures. 

If you are pressed for time and need a quicker method of thawing, you can place the freezer bag of frozen baked ziti in a bowl of warm water and submerge it.

This is the best method if you need to eat the ziti immediately as it will only take around 30 minutes to thaw. 

Can You Refreeze Baked Ziti?

It is not advisable to refreeze baked ziti as the ingredients within the dish are too likely to deteriorate when exposed to thawing and refreezing.

This is why freezing in single or double portions can be so beneficial as it helps prevent food waste. 

Does Baked Ziti Freeze Well?

Baked ziti is a great meal for freezing! If cooked all the way through and defrosted properly, it can taste almost as if it had been freshly baked that day.

Therefore, if you need to make a batch ahead of time or are looking for an easy way to preserve leftovers for longer, freezing is the way to go!