80 Italian Recipes That Freeze Well, Raw or Cooked

These are the Italian recipes I freeze at home, sorted into the ones I freeze raw and cook later, and the ones I cook first and freeze in portions. As an Italian, I do not freeze ready meals to reheat during the week. I use the freezer to keep meat, seafood, stocks and a few dishes ready, so that when I cook from scratch I save time.

How I organize the freezer, what I never freeze and the safety rules are in Part 3 of my kitchen series: Once a Month Freezer Meal Prep.

Freeze raw, cook later

I prepare these up to the point of cooking, freeze them, and bake or fry them on the day.

You can cook them from frozen, but you need to extend the cooking time to account for it.

If you are frying, be careful with the oil splatter from the ice crystals.

1. Classic veal Milanese
2. Cotoletta alla palermitana, baked beef cutlets
3. Traditional Italian meatloaf, polpettone
4. Old fashion beef pot pie with Marsala
5. Double crust chicken pot pie with mushrooms
6. Easy crispy breaded baked chicken cutlets
7. Italian oven baked chicken nuggets
8. Italian chicken nuggets Parmesan
9. Sicilian beef braciole
10. Crispy deep fried meatballs
11. Scallop, shrimp, salmon and cod fish pie
12. Italian stuffed calamari
13. Crispy fried polenta cakes
14. Gnocchi alla romana
15. Zucchini mushroom quiche with bacon
16. Spinach ricotta pie with caramelized squash
17. Rice arancini
18. Fried risotto balls from Calabria
19. Fried stuffed olives, olive ascolane
20. Deep fried mozzarella sticks
21. Deep fried deviled eggs
22. Crema fritta
23. Pastiera napoletana
24. Crostata di marmellata, jam tart
25. Overripe pear crumble with almonds
26. 3 ingredient pistachio butter biscuits
27. Chiacchiere, Italian fried cookies
28. Fried calzone, panzerotti
29. Panini al latte, milk bread rolls
30. Gnocco fritto

Cook first, then freeze

I cook these, let them cool, and freeze them in portions.

To use them, I defrost them in the microwave or in the oven.

Stocks and soups go in the pot from frozen.

Homemade gelato and sorbet are stored frozen anyway, but it is best to use them within a few days, as they tend to crystallize because they are made with all fresh ingredients.

1. Ossobuco alla milanese
2. Wild boar stew with chocolate
3. Vitello tonnato
4. Chicken Marsala without cream
5. Maiale al latte
6. Leftover ham spread terrine
7. Homemade fish stock
8. Strong fish broth, fumet
9. Chicken minestrone soup
10. Beef consommé
11. Homemade chicken stock
12. Homemade brown beef stock
13. Brioche dough
14. Italian ratatouille, caramelized in the oven
15. Gratin dauphinois
16. No fry eggplant Parmesan
17. Petits farcis stuffed peppers, tomatoes and courgettes
18. Stuffed round courgettes
19. Vegetable soup with spicy merguez sausages
20. Torta verde ligure
21. Vegetarian potato stuffed zucchini and eggplants
22. Cold stuffed round eggplants
23. Vegetarian stuffed bell peppers
24. Ciambotta vegetable stew
25. Roman artichokes
26. Roasted butternut squash
27. Sautéed spinach with garlic
28. Friarielli
29. Struffoli
30. Torta caprese, flourless chocolate cake
31. Chestnut pavlova, Mont Blanc meringues
32. Simple Mont Blanc dessert
33. Dark chocolate mousse
34. Italian gelato, vanilla, chocolate and pistachio
35. Stracciatella gelato
36. Strawberry gelato with white chocolate
37. Uva fragola sorbetto
38. Sicilian blueberry sorbet
39. Pineapple sorbet with prosecco
40. Lime sorbet
41. Crema di caffè
42. Authentic Italian pizza dough
43. Pizza bianca romana
44. Pizzette, mini pizza bites
45. Crescia, Italian cheese bread
46. Casatiello and tortano
47. Pane siciliano, semolina bread
48. Piadina
49. Canederli, bread dumplings
50. English muffins

If you freeze any of these, or you have one I should add, leave a comment below, I would like to hear from you. You can find more ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.

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