

Typically, it means the ingredients were not preserved before use.
I’m familiar with the term when used for meat. “Fresh” isn’t used as an indicator of “freshness”, really, it’s an indicator of whether it’s ever been preserved. A 4-day-old steak on markdown is still “Fresh” even though it is certainly no longer fresh.
This would be contrasted by food that has been frozen, dried, cured, smoked, cooked, etc. Sometimes there are exceptions, like the use of natural preservatives such as celery powder.
I could be wrong, but I believe the implication is that the ingredients - especially the beef and possibly the pasta - are fresh (not frozen or dried) when the meal is first prepared, though after cooking it is frozen afterwards.









Revolutionary