Does pasta or rice ever go bad? My mom always stocked our house with different pastas and rices in mass amounts; our cabinet was never empty and I just assumed it would stay delicious and ready to use forever. Was this true? I recently did my research and this is what I found:
Dried Pasta
According to Eat By Date, a website that gives you the low down on shelf lives of different dishes: dried pasta and noodles in the box will last for up to two years. So keep that pasta around, you never know when you will want to make an impromptu pasta dinner.
Fresh Pasta
Fresh pasta will only last 4-5 days in the refrigerator but can last 6-8 months in the freezer. The freezer is your best friend if you cannot eat food quick enough, so keep that pasta chilly.
Cooked Pasta
Once you have cooked pasta, any leftovers will last for 7 days in the fridge and 6-8 months in the freezer. Even if the pasta is tossed with a sauce, it will have to be finished off within the week.
Uncooked Rice
Eat By Date’s chart on rice shows that white rice and minute rice will last you 4-5 years, brown rice will last 6-8 months and wild rice will last you 6-8 months in the pantry as well.
Even though rice and pasta do eventually go bad, the shelf life of dried pasta and uncooked rice is insanely long. You most likely will use it before your 2-4 years is up. Just be wary of buying fresh pasta and be sure to eat your rice or noodles within the week after cooking them. If your shelf life on pasta or rice is coming to an the options are endless. Try pasta in a mug, a homemade sauce, “clay pot” rice, or breakfast fried rice to go!