Have you been making pasta almost every night of the week for weeks on end and driving yourself mad? yes, it only takes 10min but sometimes its 10min you don't have and we can all do with an instant meal in the freezer when we just want the night off.
When I make pasta I always make the whole packet. we use what we need for that meal and the leftovers get rinsed in cold water and frozen into portions overnight, and then put into a zippy seal bag so they are easily accessible when they are needed.
So you've frozen the pasta into portions and bagged them... now what? Well, when you need a portion at short notice here's what you do:
Say "sure my darling, I'll go make some pasta for you"
Fill the kettle and flick the switch on your way to the freezer.
Take out the frozen portion from the bag, place it into a bowl.
Pour yourself a cup of coffee and then pour some boiling water over the frozen pasta cube (just enough to cover the pasta).
Sip on the glorious gift of HOT coffee/tea for a minute or two while your pasta warms through and strain the water.
Add a sauce or topping (or leave plain) and SERVE!
Enjoy the rest of your hot beverage whilst you child tucks in!
You now have a starchy base for any meal at little to no notice and it requires no effort at all :-)
Lunchbox tip : if your little one enjoys plain pasta, you can pop a frozen pasta cube into a small sealed container for school and let it thaw out in the lunch box. By the time snack time comes it will be perfect to eat!