Sourdough Pasta
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Homemade sourdough pasta is next-level, and it only takes three ingredients! The tang from the sourdough starter discard brings a rich, complex flavor that regular noodles just can’t compete with.
Sourdough Discard Pasta
I’m a carb junkie. I freely admit it.
I am my best self when I’ve been eating carbs.
Don’t lie, you’re the same way! You’re here, reading this recipe, after all!
This pasta is guilt-free. It’s lightly fermented and totally homemade from scratch. These are the good carbs “they” talk about!
This sourdough pasta recipe is dedicated to the good carbs.
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Tips
- New to sourdough? Need a starter? Check out my super easy sourdough starter. It’s ready in 24 hours!
- This recipe can be rolled by hand or with a pasta rolling machine. No need for fancy equipment if you don’t have it! If kneading by hand, knead for 10-15 minutes, or until a smooth elastic dough forms. The sourdough discard pasta dough can be rolled with a tenacious hand and a heavy rolling pin!
- As with ALL my recipes, make absolutely sure to measure your flour using the scoop and level method. This involves vigorously stirring the flour in your container or bag, then spooning it into your measuring cup before leveling it off using the back of a knife or spoon handle. This ensures a more consistent result from batch to batch.
- Not all sourdough discards are equal. A fresher, recently fed (within 7 days) sourdough discard will have a much more mild sour flavor than an aged discard been unfed in the back of the fridge for 2-3 weeks. I like to age my sourdough in the fridge for at least 2 weeks after my last addition to get the best tang!
- Because these homemade noodles have so much flavor, one of our favorite ways to eat them is to make a simple garlic butter pasta!
Key Ingredients
Sourdough Discard:
This recipe is pretty flexible when it comes to starter discard. Use the stuff you’ve been saving in the fridge for a week or use the leftover’s from this morning’s feeding. Just make sure your starter is 100% hydration, and you stir down any bubbles before measuring! Ensure your discard is near room temperature before using.
Eggs:
The yellow yolks of the egg are what gives this dough it’s gorgeous yellow color and tender silky texture.
Flour:
I use a high protein all purpose flour in my kitchen for most things. Use flour with ~ 12% protein. This will result in the most consistent results. High protein flour gives your pasta dough strength and elasticity. This makes it easier to roll out thinly and helps it hold its shape during cutting and cooking.
Read More: How To Tell If Your Sourdough Starter Is Bad
How To Make Sourdough Pasta
Make The Dough:
- Add 3 cups of high protein all purpose or bread flour to the bowl of your stand mixer. Then crack 4 large eggs and add them to the flour. Use a fork to whisk up the eggs and break the yolks. Then add 1 cup of sourdough discard to the bowl.
- Add 1 cup of sourdough discard to the bowl.
- Knead with the dough hook for 5-8 minutes or until a silky smooth dough forms. It will be quite tacky at first but as it continues to knead it will firm up. It should be slightly tacky to the touch when done kneading and feel smooth and elastic.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or do like me and use a shower cap!) and set aside for 30 minutes to 3 hours at room temperature, or up to 2 days in the fridge.
Roll The Dough:
- Generously flour a clean work surface. Prepare a baking sheet by generously sprinkling with flour, then set aside. If at any point, the dough is sticking to the counter or to the roller, add more flour! Clamp a pasta roller to your counter or table.
- Portion the dough into 4-6 pieces. Keep the portions of dough you’re not working in a covered bowl.
- Press or roll the dough into an oval-shaped disc, flouring both sides well. Feed this through your pasta roller set on the widest setting.
- Continue rolling the pasta dough through the machine as you gradually reduce the thickness of the dough one roll pass at a time. If the dough sticks to the work surface, dust it with flour on both sides. Flour is a good thing here! If the dough gets too long to handle, simply cut the sheet in half.
- Once the dough has reached your desired thickness, sprinkle it with flour again, then transfer the handle to the cutter attachment and feed the sheet through the cutting blades to cut your desired shape (fettuccini or spaghetti) OR leave it as a sheet for lasagna noodles. Sprinkle, or dredge the cut noodles in more flour to prevent sticking.
- If you don’t have a pasta drying rack, swirl the cut noodles into pasta nests and place them on the floured baking sheet to dry for at least 30 minutes. I like to turn mine over after 30 minutes and let them dry a further 20-30 minutes.
Repeat with the remaining dough.
This pasta is a little bit softer than a traditional rolled pasta. If your pasta cutter does not want to cut the dough, it’s because your dough is too soft. Knead a bit more flour into the piece you’re working with, then send it through the flat rollers again before attempting to cut sourdough discard noodles.
Cutting Pasta By Hand
If you’re cutting your pasta by hand, you have the flexibility to cut your pasta into any size or shape you like. Rolled pasta sheets can be used for lasagne as well as ravioli!
| Pasta Type | Description | Typical Width |
|---|---|---|
| Pappardelle | Wide, elegant ribbons; great for rich, hearty sauces | ~ ¾” to 1″ (19–25 mm) |
| Tagliatelle | Classic ribbon pasta; perfect with ragu or creamy sauces | ~ ¼” (6–8 mm) |
| Fettuccine | Slightly narrower than tagliatelle; pairs well with Alfredo-style sauces | ~ ⅛” to ¼” (6 mm) |
| Linguine | Thin, flat noodles ideal for lighter sauces or seafood | ~ ⅛” (3–4 mm) |
| Mafaldine (or Reginette) | Ruffled edges; hand-cut with a fluted pastry wheel | ~ ½” to ¾” (12–20 mm) |
| Tonnarelli | Squared spaghetti-like noodles, traditionally made with a chitarra but can be cut by hand | ~ ⅛” (3 mm) |
| Lasagna Sheets | Large, flat sheets for layering | ~ 3″ wide or cut to fit dish |
| Rustic Rags / Stracci | Irregular, hand-torn pasta sheets; great in soups or with chunky sauces | Freeform shapes |
Variations + Substitutions
Batch + Storage
Batch:
This sourdough pasta dough recipe makes about 8 to 10 servings. This recipe can easily be halved or doubled. I like to make large quantities while I’ve got the mess out!
Storage:
Once your sourdough noodles have been rolled and cut, you can cook them immediately or store them for later. If you plan on storing them, toss the noodles well in flour to prevent sticking, then let them dry slightly before gently wrapping them into nests. This helps them hold their shape and makes storage easier.
For short-term storage, place the floured, dried nests in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
For longer storage, freeze the nests in a single layer until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container. I prefer using a hard-sided container over a zip-top freezer bag to protect the delicate noodles from getting crushed.
To cook from frozen, simply drop the pasta nests directly into a pot of boiling salted water and cook for 7–8 minutes. Be sure to stir regularly to loosen the dough and ensure even cooking.
Cooking Homemade Pasta
- To cook fresh sourdough pasta, bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add a glug of olive oil to help tame the bubbles.
- Add the fresh pasta to the boiling water and cook, stirring often for 3-4 minutes or until cooked to your desired consistency.
- Toss the sourdough pasta in your favorite sauce.
Note: Homemade pasta likes to boil over! Watch your pot while cooking the pasta cause it foams up very quickly. I actually like to use a large pot less than half-filled with water for this exact reason.
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Sourdough Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour or high protein all purpose flour *see note
- 4 eggs large
- 1 cup sourdough discard stirred down
- 1 cup flour for working the dough
Instructions
Make the dough with a stand mixer:
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the flour.
- Then crack the eggs and add them to the flour. Use a fork to whisk up the eggs and break the yolks. Then add the sourdough discard to the bowl.
- Knead with the dough hook for 5-8 minutes or until a silky smooth dough forms. It will be quite tacky at first but as it continues to knead it will firm up. It should be slightly tacky to the touch when done kneading and feel smooth and elastic.
- Cover the bowl and set aside to rest for 30 minutes to 3 hours at room temperature, or up to 2 days in the fridge.
Make the dough by hand:
- Pour flour onto a clean working surface, make a well in the centre of the pile.
- Crack the eggs into the well, and whisk them to break up the yolks. Add the sourdough discard.
- Begin mixing the dough slowly scraping flour from the outsides of the well and combining with the egg and sourdough discard. Continue gradually incorporating flour until the liquid dough is thickened, then begin to fold the dough into the flour.
- Knead the dough for 10-12 minutes, until an elastic dough forms.
- Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover, and set aside for 30 minutes to 3 hours at room temperature, or up to 2 days in the fridge.
Make the pasta with a pasta machine:
- Generously flour a clean work surface. Prepare a baking sheet by generously sprinkling with flour, then set aside. If at any point, the dough is sticking to the counter or to the roller, add more flour! Clamp a pasta roller to your counter or table.
- Portion the dough into 4-6 pieces. Keep the portions of dough you’re not working in a covered bowl.
- Press or roll the dough into an oval-shaped disc, flouring both sides well. Feed this through your pasta roller set on the widest setting.
- Continue rolling the pasta dough through the machine as you gradually reduce the thickness of the dough one roll pass at a time. If the dough sticks to the work surface, dust it with flour on both sides. Flour is a good thing here!
- Once the dough has reached your desired thickness, sprinkle it with flour again, then transfer the handle to the cutter attachment and feed the sheet through the cutting blades to cut your desired shape (fettuccini or spaghetti) OR leave it as a sheet for lasagna noodles. Sprinkle, or dredge the cut noodles in more flour to prevent sticking.
- If you don’t have a pasta drying rack, swirl the cut noodles into pasta nests and place them on the floured baking sheet to dry for at least 30 minutes. I like to turn mine over after 30 minutes and let them dry a further 20-30 minutes.
- Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
Make the pasta by hand:
- Generously flour a clean work surface. Prepare a baking sheet by generously sprinkling with flour, then set aside. If at any point, the dough is sticking to the counter or to the roller, add more flour! Clamp a pasta roller to your counter or table.
- Portion the dough into 4-6 pieces. Keep the portions of dough you’re not working in a covered bowl.
- Press or roll the dough into an oval-shaped disc, flouring both sides well. Roll the dough until it’s about 1 – 2 mm thick. Add flour to the cutting board and rolling pin as needed to prevent sticking.
- Once the dough is to your desired thickness, sprinkle it with flour again. Roll the dough into a loose, flat roll, from one short end to the opposite.
- Slice across the rolled dough with a sharp knife or pizza cutter into even ribbons or strips. Unroll the noodles, sprinkle with flour again!
- If you don’t have a pasta drying rack, swirl the cut noodles into pasta nests and place them on the floured baking sheet to dry for at least 30 minutes. I like to turn mine over after 30 minutes and let them dry a further 20-30 minutes.
- Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
Cook the pasta:
- To cook fresh homemade sourdough pasta, bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add a glug of olive oil to help tame the bubbles.
- Add the homemade fresh pasta to the boiling water and cook, stirring often for 3-4 minutes or until cooked to your desired consistency.
- Toss the sourdough pasta in your favorite sauce.
Notes
Batch:
This sourdough pasta dough recipe makes about 8 to 10 servings. This recipe can easily be halved or doubled. I like to make large quantities while I’ve got the mess out!Storage:
Once your sourdough noodles have been rolled and cut, you can cook them immediately or store them for later. If you plan on storing them, toss the noodles well in flour to prevent sticking, then let them dry slightly before gently wrapping them into nests. This helps them hold their shape and makes storage easier. For short-term storage, place the floured, dried nests in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. For longer storage, freeze the nests in a single layer until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container. I prefer using a hard-sided container over a zip-top freezer bag to protect the delicate noodles from getting crushed. To cook from frozen, simply drop the pasta nests directly into a pot of boiling salted water and cook for 7–8 minutes. Be sure to stir regularly to loosen the dough and ensure even cooking.Recommended Equipment + Ingredients
Nutrition
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This was so much fun! Never made pasta before and this recipe was simple with awesome results!
I do have one question. I chose to make the pasta nests and freeze mine. When I do decide to use them do I just take them out of the freezer and cook them or do I need to defrost them for a period of time first?
Thanks!!
Hello! I was just wondering if after dried, can noodles be sealed in airtight Mylar bags? Shelf stable?
Thank you!
Hey Shelly, I am not 100% sure on that… They can be frozen, but due to the raw egg, I’m not sure if they can be stored at room temperature even if dried. Sorry I can’t be more help!
Please explain 100% hydration??????
Sure! 100% hydration is when your starter is fed equal portions of water and flour by weight. For example, 100g starter, 100g water, and 100g flour.