Learning Activity Sheet • Seal the bag or screw the lid on tightly.

Store
TLE 10 Quarter 1, Week 9 the pasta in a cool, dry place. Dry pasta stores
Prepare Cereal and Starch Dishes indefinitely, but should be used within two
years to prevent loss of flavor. Store dried egg
Learning Outcome 3 noodles for up to six months.
Present Starch and Cereal Dishes
Dried pasta need not to be refrigerated. It can be
Techniques in Preparing Pasta before Plating stored on the shelf in an airtight container in a dry
1. Pasta is best if cooked and served immediately. area that is not exposed to extreme temperature.
Try to cook pasta upon order. Dried pasta can be stored indefinitely and still be safe
2. If pasta is to be served immediately, just drain and to eat but the USDA recommends storing dried pasta
do not rinse in cold water. for no more than two years to obtain the best quality.
3. If pasta is to be used cold in salad, it is ready to be Some manufacturers will stamp their packages with
incorporated in the recipe as soon as it has cooled. a "best if used by" date, which indicates that the
4. If pasta is to be held, toss gently with a small flavor, color and nutritional value may be affected if
amount of oil to keep it from sticking. used beyond that date.
5. Measure portions into mounds on trays. Cover
with plastic film and refrigerate until service time. 2. Cooked Pasta
6. To serve, place the desired number of portions in • Pour the noodles into a colander. Allow as
a china cap and immerse in simmering water to much moisture as possible to drain. Noodles
reheat. Drain, plate, and add sauce. left in standing water become overly soft and
mushy.
• Sprinkle 1 tsp. salad oil over the noodles.
Learning Outcome 4 Toss the pasta so the noodles are evenly
Store Starch and Cereal Dishes coated in the oil. Salad oil prevents the pasta
from sticking together.
Introduction • Place the pasta in a tight-sealed container.
Proper storage of food is very crucial in keeping Store in the refrigerator for three to five days.
food safe because the manner and temperature of • Cooked pasta can be stored unsauced in an
storage will affect the food‘s susceptibility to airtight container and refrigerated for 4 or 5
bacterial growth, other contaminants, and infestation. days. The sauce should be refrigerated
Storing food will not separate from the pasta and can be stored for
improve its quality, it will only delay the rate of 6 or 7 days. This prevents the pasta from
deterioration, and thus, the proper period of storage soaking up too much flavor and oil from the
should also be observed. sauce, which causes the taste of the pasta to
be drowned out. If the pasta is stored together
FIFO (First In, First Out) in storing food is very with the sauce, it should be eaten within 1 or
important. Though it is a long-time method in store- 2 days to limit the amount of sauce that is
keeping where the first food stored should be the first absorbed. If cooked pasta is not going to be
food to be out from the storage it is high time to make used within the suggested time period, it
it a habit or put into practice. Write the expiry date, should be frozen and then it can be stored for
date received and date of storage to the food package approximately 3 months. Frozen cooked
and regularly check the expiration date. pasta should be thawed in the refrigerator and
not on the kitchen counter.
How to Store Pasta Noodles
Pasta is stored in airtight containers. To store, cook the pasta as you normally would
Pasta noodles are usually sold dry at the grocery and then rinse with cold water and allow it to drain
store, allowing you to store them with other staples well.
in your pantry. Dry noodles have a long storage life • Add a small amount of olive oil or butter to
when properly packaged. Improper storage causes help prevent the pasta from clumping
the pasta to become moist, which leads to mildew. together while it is stored. Use only enough
Even without moisture, pasta can become stale if it's oil or butter to lightly coat the pasta.
not stored correctly. Proper storage ensures your • To refrigerate, place the pasta in an airtight
pasta to always taste its best. plastic bag or an airtight container and place
in the refrigerator. To freeze, place in an
1. Dry Pasta airtight plastic freezer bag and press out as
• Remove the pasta from the store packaging if much excess air as possible and place in the
the noodles come in a box or other non- freezer.
airtight container. • If storing sauced pasta, eat within 1 to 2 days
• Place the noodles in a sealable plastic bag or to prevent it from absorbing too much sauce.
other container that closes tightly. For long
noodles, such as spaghetti, use a tall plastic
storage container.
 • When refrigerating or freezing cooked pasta, 4. Frozen pasta does not have to be thawed before it
be sure it is stored in a well-sealed container is cooked. Just place the frozen pasta into boiling
so that it does not absorb any odor. Cooked water and reheat it. It will need to cook a little
lasagna and baked pasta dishes can be longer than unfrozen pasta.
refrigerated or frozen in the same manner as
plain cooked pasta. The lasagna and Tips & Warnings
casseroles should be first cut into individual • Store pasta sauce separate from the noodles,
servings before placing them in a sealed bag otherwise the noodles will become mushy.
or container. This will make it easier when • You can freeze cooked pasta but it may be too
reheating. soft once thawed. Use frozen pasta in baked
dishes so the softer texture is not noticeable.
If you have an entire lasagna or pasta dish to
refrigerate or freeze, it can be left in the baking dish
and tightly covered before storing.
Note: Copy and answer all the activities on yellow
The lasagna and baked pasta dishes can be paper with your Name and Section.
refrigerated for 3 or 4 days or they can be placed in a
freezer and kept for approximately 3 months. If
frozen, the pasta dish should be thawed in the Activity #1
refrigerator and not on the kitchen counter. Direction: Describe each techniques in preparing
pasta before plating in one sentence.
3. Fresh Pasta. 1. _______________________________________.
• Fresh pasta should ideally be used on the 2. _______________________________________.
same day as manufactured. This is not always 3. _______________________________________.
possible, but if it is used within the next two 4. _______________________________________.
days it will give adequate results. After this it 5. _______________________________________.
tends to crack through excess drying. It must 6. _______________________________________.
be stored, keep it well-covered in the fridge,
to minimize the risk of this happening. Frozen
filled pastas will keep for up to three months Additional Activities
if held at -18oC or lower. Directions: Give at least ten (10) example of pasta
dishes.
• Fresh pasta can be stored in the refrigerator 1.
for 2 or 3 days. If the pasta will not be used 2.
within that time, it can be frozen and stored in 3.
the freezer for 2 to 3 months. Homemade 4.
pasta can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 or 5.
2 days or frozen for 2 to 3 months. 6.
Homemade pasta can also be allowed to dry 7.
thoroughly and then placed in a plastic bag or 8.
airtight container. The length of time it will 9.
take to dry will vary depending on the type of 10.
pasta and its size, shape and thickness. If
dried completely, the pasta can then be stored
in a cool dry place for a couple of months. If Reflection
you are going to use the pasta on the same day
as it is made, you can allow itto dry on a clean Direction: Write your reflections by answering the
towel for a couple of hours before you cook it sentence given below.
unless it is stuffed pasta. Stuffed pasta, such 1. The things I found interesting are…
as ravioli, should be cooked within half an _____________________________________
hour, otherwise it will begin to discolor and ____________________________________.
become damp.
2. Today, I learned that…
If it is not going to be cooked immediately it _____________________________________
should be placed on a lightly floured towel that is ____________________________________.
placed on a baking sheet, sprinkled lightly with flour,
and then placed in the freezer. Once they are frozen
they can be stored in a freezer proof bag or wrap and
then place it in the freezer for 8 or 9 months.