Italy, in general, is pretty famous for a lot of things. Perhaps most of all, it’s known for some of the world’s best food exports. It’s pretty much impossible to dispute how great some of them are. They include gelato, pizza, risotto, cheese, cured meats, and of course pasta.
Of all the types of pasta, ravioli is perhaps one of the tastiest and most versatile. You can shape it how you like, and you can fill them with an almost endless amount of ingredients. From the classics like spinach and ricotta to something a bit different like meat and mushrooms, there’s a filling for everyone!
Since ravioli is such a delicious food, it can be easy to get a bit carried away when making it as the last thing you want is to be dying to have seconds only to find that it is all gone.
If you’ve cooked too much ravioli and are wondering how to store it and how long it will last, fear not, you can find the answers here.
How Long Does Cooked Ravioli Last in the Fridge?
The most common and definitely the most convenient way to store cooked ravioli is in the fridge. It means that you can reheat it quickly without having to go through the defrosting process which can be a bit annoying, particularly if you are short on time.
If you are storing your cooked ravioli in the fridge it will last for 3-5 days if stored properly. This means that you should refrigerate it in a proper storage container within 2 hours of cooking it. The best storage containers to use are shallow, air-tight containers, or resealable plastic bags.
How Long Can Cooked Ravioli be Left at Room Temperature?
It’s best to not leave ravioli out at room temperature for a very long time. Since it is considered to be perishable like most cooked foods, according to the food safety chart, you should not leave it out at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F for longer than 2 hours. This is because bacteria can grow rapidly at these temperatures and make it unsafe to eat.
So, if you cook ravioli and there are leftovers, make sure that you properly store them in the fridge or freezer within the 2-hour threshold.
How to Tell if Cooked Ravioli Has Gone Bad
Of course, sometimes you can forget what exactly you have in your fridge and how long it has been in there (which is why I recommend marking your containers with the date you prepared the food). Because of this, it’s important for you to be able to tell if ravioli has gone bad before you eat it.
Visual Clues
You can tell if cooked ravioli has gone bad by looking at it and if you see anything unsightly like discoloration or moldy spots then it should be thrown out.
Odor
You can also tell by smelling it. If you can sense a foul odor coming from it then it has gone off and should be tossed.
Taste
The last way you’ll know if ravioli has gone bad is by taste. Sometimes it can look fine but the taste can be a bit off. If you notice this, you should stop eating it and discard the rest.
To avoid making the mistake of accidentally eating bad ravioli it’s best to keep track of the days it has been in the fridge and to throw it out if it’s been there for more than 5 days.
Can you Freeze Cooked Ravioli?
Freezing cooked ravioli is actually the best way to store ravioli for a long period of time! But how long you freeze it and the contents of the ravioli can determine how long it stays in its best form.
Ravioli that contain sauce are the best ones to freeze. This is because the sauce can keep them from becoming dry. Dry ravioli when thawed can become overly mushy.
How Long Does Cooked Ravioli Last in the Freezer?
Technically, for safekeeping, it can stay in the freezer indefinitely. However, the taste and the texture of the ravioli will not be so great if it is kept frozen for super long periods of time.
I found that the longest time to keep ravioli in the freezer while keeping it at the best quality is 1-2 months. Any longer than that and the texture and the taste of the ravioli may be different and probably not as good.
How to Freeze Cooked Ravioli
If you want ravioli to keep its flavor for longer it’s best that it you store it properly. The way you should prepare to freeze the ravioli differs if it is dry or combined with a sauce. If it is with a sauce then all you need to do is put the ravioli and the sauce in an air-tight container or an air-tight freezer bag and place it in the freezer.
If you’re freezing dry ravioli then you should first place them in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking tray and freeze them in this way for 30 minutes, or until they are solid. Once frozen, transfer them into an air-tight freezer bag or container and return them to the freezer.
How Long Does Thawed Cooked Ravioli Last?
If you have frozen the cooked ravioli you will, of course, be wanting to thaw it, reheat it, and eat it eventually. However, if you do this you should be careful about how much you thaw if you have a large portion of frozen ravioli.
If the ravioli has been thawing in the fridge then it can last (as long as it continues to be in the fridge) for 3-4 days, similar to when it was first cooked. After this window you should throw it out it if it’s not eaten, however.
If you thawed the ravioli in the microwave or with boiling water, you should eat it immediately after thawing.
So, if you think you may not be able to eat all of the ravioli that you will be defrosting, it is better that you thaw it in the fridge. Also, by thawing it in the fridge you also give yourself the ability to refreeze it if you can’t eat it.
However, there are some rules to refreezing foods. You should only refreeze foods if they’ve been thawed in the fridge and if they have been thawed for less than 48 hours. You should also only do this once – don’t continually refreeze. This can keep the food safe, but the quality of the refrozen food will certainly be not as high. Use this option sparingly, if needed. Otherwise, enjoy your delicious ravioli, thawed or fresh!