Creamy Garlic Spaghetti Freezer Meal Prep
A whole pan of garlic sounds like a lot, but this creamy spaghetti tastes mellow, nutty and rich, and almost all of the work happens days before dinner.
Peeled garlic cloves simmer in water until soft, then go into the blender with olive oil and broth. A few seconds later you have a pale, silky sauce with no cream at all.
Freeze it in blocks and a busy weeknight dinner is just a matter of melting a few of them in a skillet and tossing in hot spaghetti.
| Prep time | 5 minutes |
| Cook time | 10 minutes |
| Freeze time | 4 to 6 hours (hands-off) |
| Reheat time | About 10 minutes, straight from frozen |
| Makes | 4 sauce blocks, enough for about 4 servings |
| Keeps | Up to 3 months in the freezer |
Why Blanching the Garlic Is Worth It Here
Raw garlic is sharp and hot, and a sauce made from this much of it would be harsh. A few minutes in simmering water takes away that bite and leaves the cloves sweet and mellow.
Blanching also softens the cloves all the way through, so they blend into a completely smooth sauce. The olive oil and broth whip into a creamy emulsion around them.
Because there is no dairy in the sauce, it freezes beautifully. It will not split or turn grainy when you reheat it.
Why Freeze the Sauce and Not the Pasta
Spaghetti frozen in sauce keeps soaking up liquid, so it turns soft and dry by the time you reheat it. Fresh spaghetti only takes about 10 minutes to cook, while the sauce melts in the pan.
Freezing the sauce in blocks also lets you take out exactly what you need, whether that is dinner for two or for the whole family.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups peeled garlic cloves (about 3 heads)
- Water, for blanching
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 12 oz spaghetti, cooked fresh at dinnertime
- Crushed red pepper flakes, to finish
You will also need a skillet, a blender, a mesh strainer or slotted spoon, a silicone freezer mold, and a zip-top freezer bag to store the blocks once they are frozen.
How to Make Creamy Garlic Spaghetti
Part 1: Make The Sauce
1. Cover The Garlic With Water
Spread the peeled garlic cloves in a skillet and pour in enough water to cover them. Store-bought peeled cloves save a lot of time here.
2. Blanch Until Soft
Bring the water to a simmer and cook the garlic for 8 to 10 minutes, until a knife slides easily into the cloves. This is what takes the raw, sharp edge off the garlic.
3. Lift Out The Garlic
Scoop the cloves out with a mesh strainer or slotted spoon and let them drain for a moment. You can discard the water.
4. Add The Garlic To A Blender
Tip the soft garlic into a blender cup. It is fine if it is still warm.
5. Pour In The Olive Oil
Add the olive oil. It gives the sauce its body and helps it turn creamy as it blends.
6. Add The Broth
Pour in the broth. It loosens the sauce so it coats the pasta instead of clumping.
7. Season And Blend
Add the salt and pepper, put the lid on and blend on high.
8. Blend Until Smooth And Creamy
Keep blending for about a minute, until the sauce is pale, thick and completely smooth. Taste it and add more salt if you like.
Part 2: Freeze
9. Pour Into Molds And Freeze
Let the sauce cool to room temperature, then pour it into a silicone freezer mold. Cooling it first stops ice crystals from forming.
Freeze for 4 to 6 hours, until the blocks are solid all the way through.
10. Pop Out The Blocks
Push the frozen blocks out of the mold and store them in a labeled zip-top freezer bag. Your mold is then free for the next batch.
These are the 1-cup silicone freezer molds I use to portion every component. Get the freezer molds on Amazon.
How to Reheat and Finish
11. Add The Frozen Blocks To A Skillet
Put 3 to 4 frozen blocks straight into a skillet. There is no need to thaw them first.
12. Melt Into A Bubbling Sauce
Heat over medium-low, covered, for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce has melted and is gently bubbling. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in salted water.
13. Add The Freshly Cooked Spaghetti
Drain the spaghetti and add it straight to the skillet. Save a splash of the pasta water in case the sauce needs loosening.
14. Toss Until Coated
Toss the spaghetti through the sauce for a minute or two, until every strand is glossy and creamy.
15. Finish With Red Pepper Flakes
Sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes and serve right away, while the sauce is silky.
Storage and Variations
The sauce blocks keep for up to three months in the freezer, so write the date on the bag. Once the sauce has been reheated, eat it rather than refreezing it, and keep any leftovers in the fridge for up to three days.
For a heartier bowl, toss in sautéed shrimp, shredded rotisserie chicken or a few handfuls of baby spinach at the end. A squeeze of lemon, some chopped parsley or a handful of grated Parmesan on top all work well too.
