Dry Pasta
This week’s Food Storage Essentials item is dry pasta. I would suggest macaroni. I found a 5 lb. bag of Great Value Elbow Macaroni at Walmart for $4.48, or you can get a 2-pack for $8.69. That’s 10 lbs. of pasta for well under $10! Pasta is pretty easy to store for long term, and is very versatile.
Nutritional value
Dry pasta is pretty high in carbohydrates, which is good if you’re looking for more sustained energy. It has a decent amount of protein, and fiber. Pasta is usually made with enriched flour, which means that it has added folate, niacin, and riboflavin. Dry pasta also has calcium, magnesium, and zinc. It’s actually fairly healthy, if you watch what sauces you add to it. Vegetable sauces are better for you and lower in fat than creamy sauces.
Long term storage
Dry pasta is relatively easy to store for long-term. I suggest vacuum-sealing it and putting the sealed bags in a food-safe bucket, or sealing in mylar bags. You can put an oxygen absorber in each bag to make it last even longer in storage. Dry pasta lasts a long time, and is still usually good for 1-2 years after its expiration date if it is packaged properly.
Preparation
Well, I really hope you know how to cook pasta, so I’m not really going to get into that here. But the seasonings or sauces that you use for your pasta really are what makes the difference. I would suggest keeping some kind of sauces around as well, or learn to make your own. Check into making your own dry “Cream of whatever” soup mix, or learn to can your own tomato sauces.
Dry pasta is a great addition to any food storage plan. After all, pasta is the “world’s favorite food”. Comfort food at its finest! Consider stocking your shelves with some pasta.
