I make the original soup with the pasta in the broth, the pasta needs the flavour of the soup.

I have never had luck freezing soup with the pasta in it, the pasta sucks up all the broth, so I remove all the pasta or rice from the soup, divide into small containers and freeze separately from the broth.

Just because I'm not so sure my family could figure all this out, I place the container of noodles on top of the container of broth and tape them together! LOL

Sadly, I am serious.

Chase, I think taping them together is a great idea.

I freeze alot of soup - I do as chase does - freezing the pasta separately - except I freeze the pasta in a ziplock bag and tape it to the container of soup - for me!- for me to remember since my DH wouldn't look in the freezer for food to feed himself :)

Another one here that freezes the pasta and soup separately. I also tape them together. I doubt that my DH could even find the freezer, let alone get something out and heat it.

Linda

When I am making soup with the thoughts of freezing it, I don't put the pasta in it....but if there is a little leftover, I freeze it with the pasta.
And I ALWAYS cook the pasta in the broth, makes the pasta taste better.
And if you don't over cook the pasta it's fine freezing it in the soup. Remember how good frozen lasagna is?
If you are making soup to freeze and you know you will want the noodles or shells or whatever in the soup....add it, uncooked and freeze the soup.
If you need to add a little extra broth....that's OK....better than cooking the pasta in water.
Linda C

Most soups that have pasta in them do well with extra simmering, so I just make the soup to freeze, and then add pasta when I defrost to serve. The problem I've had with freezing the pasta in the soup is that the pasta seems to disintegrate when it thaws. If I don't want to overcook the vegetables & meat in the soup once I defrost it, I scoop enough broth out of the soup (because it has the seasonings and all the flavor from the other ingredients) to cook the pasta in, and then add some stock to make up for the soup the pasta sucks up if necessary.

I make minestrone soup for freezing with the pasta already in the soup. The pasta is small (I generally use farfalline), and it does not suffer from having been frozen. I got the minestrone recipe here, and if you want, I will repost it. It has more beans in it than pasta.

Lars

Denise:
I make a very large batch of Italian Chicken Wedding Soup.
With the small meatballs.
I don't know why they call it that, because nobody is ever getting married, when we have it.

I always freeze the soup without the Pasta.

For the same reason Rachelellen mentioned.

While you defrost and heat the soup, the Pasta can be cooking.
I add Chicken Soup Base to the Pasta water, for flavor.
Lou

Lou wrote: I don't know why they call it that, because nobody is ever getting married, when we have it.

ROFL!

I always freeze it with the pasta in it. I probably wouldn't if I was serving the soup for company, but we don't mind. Too much work to separate. If I am making the soup ONLY to freeze for future, then I would asdd the pasta after it is thawed and let it simmer in well.

Sheshebop:
You should treat yourself as good as you treat your company,add the Pasta after.

Rachelellen: I get tongue tied and studder, when I type your name.

Why don't you try the Chicken Soup base thing, when cooking the Pasta .
Lou

Thank you guys and girls!

I think I will

-Cook the pasta separately in broth
-Freeze the pasta separately (in a tiny bit of broth?)
-Add the pasta broth to the soup.
-Freeze soup.
-TAPE CONTAINERS TOGETHER!

I can't think of any household that would remember that the 2 packages in the freezer go together. Thank you for that suggestion!

If time permits, I might experiment with freezing slightly undercooked pasta in soup/broth. I think it would be easier on the receiver of the soup not to have to think at all.

Denise : Good Luck !!!!! I think you should read over the posts .

Try small amounts for freezing, when your experimenting.
I'd hate to be picking Mushy Pasta out of thawed soup.
Let us know how you made out.
Lou

OK - I cooked the pasta separately and froze it in its own container. I taped the container of frozen pasta (marked pasta for soup) to the container of frozen soup. I used clear packing tape to secure the containers.

I had the opportunity to visit two of the freezers this weekend. Soup was gone but containers of pasta remain in the freezer. :~ What's up with that?

Denise;
I think you have been sipping on Fermented Chicken Soup !!!
Why are you making such a fuss over nothing.

I stole the Soup !!!!!
- - - - - - - - -

Why don't you make it easy on yourself . Cook some Pasta,
put it in the soup and freeze it.
Next day thaw it out and try it.

Then take some of the Soup, heat it, cook some Pasta
separately,
and put it in the Soup and simmmer for a few minutes.

Check them both out again.

Which do you like best ?????

It's only about 3 months since you Posted .

It only takes about 15 minutes to try this.

Lou said all this but don't know why ???

He must be losing it !!!

Lou, If I don't make a mountain out of a molehill, who will?

Denise, maybe they just don't like pasta in their soup? In which case, you needn't bother with the next refill!

Lou, feel free to just call me Rachel. Ellen is my middle name, but I couldn't sign up here as just Rachel. It was a bit odd for me at first as well, because the only person who ever called me Rachelellen was my Mother, and only when I was in serious trouble.

Denise: You are gonna get your's.

Rachelellen:
You are in serious trouble and I'm not your Mother. LOL
Because, you answered the Post with Common Sense.
I'll use Rachele from now on.
Lou

I always make a huge batch of chicken soup when I make it, enough for multiple times. I separate it into batches and freeze them. When I want soup, I thaw a batch, then cook the proper amount of pasta (ancini di pepe please!) and add it to the broth. So I guess I don't ever freeze soup with the macaroni in it.

My problem is when there's leftover soup - take it out of the fridge the next day and all the broth is gone, sucked up into the pasta!! But that's ok - there's usually not much more than a bowl leftover anyway!

Lisa

Lisa:
Some one is sipping on the soup !!!

That's why you have the Chicken Soup Base handy, add some more.
I used that a lot.( Ancini di Pepe )

In the last decade or so.
I've been using more of the Egg Noodles and Elbow Macoroni in the Wedding Chicken Soup.
I use a large ( 10 Quart ) SS pot for soup too and
Do the same as you. Are you sure you're not from Philly.
Probably use the Chicken Thighs and Legs for the soup.

Nope - a Boston girl, born and raised! But I have to say I felt very much at "home" when I visited Philly - the two cities have a very similar vibe to them! That old, worn, full of history feel that I just love! :)

I also use orzo in my soup now and again, but 99.9% of the time, Mom used ancini di pepe in her chicken soup and it just doesn't seem right with anything else. I do love egg noodles tho!

Another thing in my family - we made the "wedding" soup with the little meatballs, but never used the spinach. If a green went in the soup, it was always escarole.

Lisa

Lisa;
You're from Philly !!!!
Lou

I always keep the noodles seperate. And, I don't cook them in stock, broth or chicken base and they taste quite good. Most people simply refuse to put enough salt in the water to make pasta or noodles taste good by themselves. Since we often had plain pasta with butter during hard times, I learned early on to "season" the water. The main reason I keep it separate is because we are a two person household where one likes alot more noodles in the bowl than the other. Waving hand in air as the noodle hog, lol.

For chicken soups Nona always used escarole too. She generaly used pastina as her pasta for it. I like acini de pepe or orzo too, but usually use fine noodles. I like pastina in it too, but it's so hard to find these days [Acme online doesn't carry it]and it's one of my major comfort foods cooked like a loose cereal with just butter that I only use it for that. Two cups water, teaspoon salt, bring to boil, half cup pastina, turn to low for ten minutes. Add a ton of butter.....mmmmmm...

Ooh coconut! Pastina with butter! We grew up with that! And it's the same with me!! - you just can't find "pastina" anymore. Usually all I can find are the tiny alphabets. Pastina was another staple in soups in my family.

It's funny how you stick with something you grow up with - ancini di pepe for my chicken soup, ditalini for my pasta e fagioli (or pastafazoole as we pronounce it!). If you use anything else for those, it's just not the same!

Gonna be craving some pastina and butter now! :)

Lisa

Will you two cut it out !!!!!
Lou

I totally agree about salting the pasta water!!! Undersalted food is such a pet peeve of mine. I'm glad you brought that up! Go salt!!!