# Fresh pasta - dried pasta

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fresh-pasta-dried-pasta/273001>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 4, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fresh-pasta-dried-pasta/273001 "2004-11-04T17:55:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fresh-pasta-dried-pasta/273001/1 "2004-11-04T17:55:22Z")

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When I make fresh egg pasta, can I dry it and use it just like the store-bought dried pasta?

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**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fresh-pasta-dried-pasta/273001/2 "2004-11-04T18:06:26Z")

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Yes, as long as it’s fairly thin so it dries quickly. You can get official pasta-drying racks, but anything that keeps it up in the air will work. you may want to spread a taowel or something to keep off the dust, but that’s usually no big deal - you’re going to boil it anyway. Make sure you let it dry completely before storing it.

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**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fresh-pasta-dried-pasta/273001/3 "2004-11-04T18:07:30Z")

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Yes, I can spell. I just can’t type.

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**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fresh-pasta-dried-pasta/273001/4 "2004-11-04T18:23:31Z")

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I must respectfully disagree with **rjk**.

Fresh pasta contains raw eggs. If you don’t use it immediately, you at least need to refridgerate it. If you try to keep it the same way you keep dried, it gets moldy pretty fast (I tried this once when I was about 20 years old.)

Fresh pasta and dried pasta really are two different, but similiar, things. My advice is if you’ve gone through the work of making fresh pasta, use it right away. Buy a good quality dried for the days you want dried. Both are good - there’s nothing inherently better about fresh - and both have their uses.

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fresh-pasta-dried-pasta/273001/5 "2004-11-04T23:42:54Z")

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And I disagree with **Athena**. In Hungary, egg pasta was normally first dried in the sun, then in the shade, then placed in containers where it would keep for several months. It can be done, and it’s not hard at all.