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Can You Freeze Cannelloni?

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By Ross Young

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So you want to know whether or not you can freeze cannelloni? Are you looking to get some batch cooking done and want to know whether cannelloni is one to add to the list?

Can You Freeze Cannelloni?

Yes, you can freeze cannelloni for up to 3 months. Assemble the cannelloni, bake it in a dish and then allow it to cool. Once cool, wrap it in multiple layers of cling film or foil to protect it, then place the dish into the freezer.

Does Cannelloni Freeze Well? Yes

Can You Refreeze Cannelloni? No

How To Freeze Cannelloni

Freezing cannelloni isn’t too difficult, but there are a few steps you’ll want to take to improve the eventual eating experience. Just follow these instructions to successfully freeze your cannelloni:

  1. Assemble: For freezing your cannelloni, first, make your cannelloni as you normally would and line them up in your tray. Do not add your red sauce yet. Instead, dilute the sauce with a little water. You just want to add enough water to loosen the sauce.
  2. Shake and Bake: Once done, you can cover your filled pasta. Give it a shake to ensure the sauce has seeped into all the cracks and then bake as normal.
  3. Cool: Allow the cannelloni to cool to room temperature.
  4. Wrap and Freeze: Wrap the dish in a layer of cling film followed by a layer of aluminium foil and then place it into the freezer.

The reason for adding additional water to your sauce is to make sure that the sauce does not dry out.

The dry pasta, when covered with sauce and assembled, tends to absorb water when frozen. This can change the consistency of the sauce, and it can dry out when baked.

We would also recommend blanching the cannelloni tubes before filling. This will make them far easier to reheat.

How to Freeze Cannelloni Filling

One of the ways to eliminate the sogginess that can occur in storing a cannelloni is to store filling separately. You can fill up the pasta shells for same-day consumption and store the extra shells and filing separately.

The usual spinach and ricotta filling are perfectly fine to freeze and use later. To freeze it, you must pour the cannelloni filling into a plastic bag or container that is freezer safe. This way, you can preserve it for as long as you desire.

Can You Freeze Cannelloni Filling

Though they are safe to preserve, in a few weeks, their quality tends to deteriorate. In case you find the filing to be too watery when you take it out, you must drain it.

Also, it is common for ricotta to separate out, and thus you should mix the filling well before use.

2 Tips for Freezing Cannelloni

Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 2 vital tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing cannelloni to have the best results:

Label Them
If you have frozen cannelloni with different fillings then make sure you label them clearly. Once frozen and wrapped, it can be hard to determine what your cannelloni are filled with.

Freeze In Portions
When freezing cannelloni, freeze them in dishes that are portion sized. If you are a family of four and will eat a whole tray then freeze it as a tray. If you live alone then this may be excessive so find smaller pyrex dishes. 

How Long Can You Freeze Cannelloni?

Provided that you have carefully wrapped your cannelloni, it will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Remember, if you have used ricotta then there is a chance that the filling will split a little and may become a little watery. There is also a risk that the sauce will dry out if you leave it in the freezer for too long.

Remember to label your cannelloni with the contents and the date it needs to be consumed.

How Long Does Cannelloni Last in the Fridge?

Leftover cannelloni can be kept in the fridge for around 5 days if it does not have a meat filling. If it has any meat inside then you’ll only want to keep it for 2 to 3 days.

How Do You Defrost Cannelloni?

To defrost a cannelloni, you must not heat it right after taking it out of the freezer. You will have to plan ahead if you want them to be ready to serve on a particular day.

No matter how much it tempts you to eat it the same day, thawing first is essential if you want it to taste perfect.

So, you should thaw it in the refrigerator overnight to defrost it properly. On the next day, you can add a little water and cover it with cling film before heating it in the microwave.

This will make sure that the sauce that would have dried up a little after freezing is restored in volume.

For uncooked cannelloni too, you can thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before cooking it. However, for cooking it right away, you can heat the oven at 180c and cook it for 45 minutes.

Cannelloni must be covered with foil first to defrost it, and later, you can remove it to let it cook further. Once the cannelloni top turns golden, and the pasta is ready, you can take it out and serve.

Can You Refreeze Cannelloni?

Refreezing any meal increases the chances of microbial growth multifold. Especially when you thaw a cannelloni and then refreeze it, you add on several risks to it.

Any potential microbial growth in thawing can multiply significantly when you leave it out and then refreeze it.

When you take out the refrozen cannelloni, you may not notice it, but the food might already be ruined. On consuming such food, you might have to further deal with related health consequences.

Thus, instead of refreezing the cannelloni, it would be better to thaw only the amount that will be consumed. You can leave the rest of it in the freezer packed as before. This will keep your food safe for consumption and let it last longer as well.

Does Cannelloni Freeze Well?

Cannelloni freezes really well if you follow the right measures to store it properly. You can enjoy your cannelloni for months after you bake it, especially on lazy weekends or busy workdays.

All you need to do is follow certain steps before freezing them to ensure that they last well. Cannelloni is a dish that tends to get soggy as quickly as 4 hours after being cooked. This is why once the meal is cooked, you must cover and freeze away the extra part for later.

Or you can freeze the pasta shells and fillings separately to avoid the sogginess if you are preserving it uncooked. Now that you know how to freeze cannelloni the right way cook it and keep enjoying it for weeks thereafter!

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing cannelloni or cannelloni in general, then these may help:

Can You Freeze Spinach And Ricotta Cannelloni?

Yes, spinach and ricotta cannelloni can be frozen for around 3 months. You may find that the ricotta fillings look a little odd when it thaws but, once cooked, most of this will be fixed.

Can You Freeze Uncooked Cannelloni?

Although it would be possible to freeze uncooked cannelloni, you won’t get any benefit from doing so. You’re better off freezing it cooked so it’s ready to go.

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