Do you know how easy it is to freeze dry and rehydrate full meals? Freeze drying gives you the ability to prepare and preserve the food your family loves to eat. The possibilities are endless; lasagna, cheese macaroni, soups and stews, chicken, casseroles, pork chops, and so much more! You can buy or prepare meals, such as pasta alfredo, add some cooked chicken for protein, and have a ready-made meal sitting on your shelf.
Follow these few simple steps to rehydrate, add some fresh vegetables on the side, and dinner is served!
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2: Place your freeze-dried pasta alfredo in an oven safe container. Gradually add water until the pasta is resting in water, but not submerged. If necessary, you can always add more water later.
Step 3: Cover with aluminum foil. This allows the food to steam and will result in better rehydration and your food will reconstitute much better.
Step 4: Place your covered pasta in the oven for approximately 15 minutes.
Step 5: Remove the foil and stir. If pasta is not completely reconstituted, replace the foil and put it back in the oven. You may find that you need to add more water on this step.
Step 6: Once you have ensured the pasta is completely reconstituted, remove the cover from your dish and enjoy.
You can also rehydrate pasta in a microwave safe container using similar principles as above, eliminating the aluminum foil. Simply add water, place in microwave, and heat and stir. Next, cover the meal with a lid or saran wrap and allow the steam generated to rehydrate the pasta fully. Re-heat or add more water as necessary until the meal is fully rehydrated. You will be amazed that the pasta texture will be exactly the same as when it was fresh.
