Cool sauce completely. Decide on portion sizes: individual (½ to 1 cup for one serving of pasta), family (2 to 4 cups), or tablespoon cubes (for pesto, chimichurri, and concentrated sauces).
Flat-pack bags: Pour sauce into freezer bags, remove air, seal, and freeze flat. The most space-efficient and fastest-thawing method.
Rigid containers: Pour into containers with ½ to 1 inch headspace. Best for thin, brothy sauces.
Ice cube trays: For concentrated sauces (pesto, tomato paste, chimichurri, curry paste). Freeze in trays, pop out cubes, and bag. Each cube is a perfect small portion.
3 to 6 months (tomato, meat, and vegetable sauces). 3 months (cream sauces — add cream when reheating if possible). 3 to 6 months (pesto, paste).
Thaw in the refrigerator or reheat from frozen in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Flat packs can often be flexed and slid into the pan while still frozen.