Sourdough Discard Pasta
Silky, tender homemade pasta with a delicate sourdough flavor. Simple to make and miles ahead of dried pasta.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Mound the flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the center.
- 2
Add the sourdough discard, eggs, olive oil, and salt to the well.
- 3
Using a fork, slowly incorporate the flour from the inner walls of the well into the wet ingredients, working outward.
- 4
Once a shaggy dough forms, knead by hand for 8-10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and not sticky. Add small amounts of flour if needed.
- 5
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. This relaxes the gluten and makes rolling much easier.
- 6
Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time (keep the rest covered), roll through a pasta machine starting at the widest setting, decreasing one setting at a time until desired thickness.
- 7
If you don't have a pasta machine, roll with a rolling pin as thin as possible on a well-floured surface.
- 8
Cut into your desired shape: fettuccine, pappardelle, linguine, or leave as sheets for lasagna.
- 9
Dust the cut pasta with semolina or flour to prevent sticking.
- 10
Cook in heavily salted boiling water for just 2-4 minutes (fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried). Taste test early.
- 11
Toss immediately with your sauce of choice.
Baker's Tips
- •The dough should feel firm and smooth, like Play-Doh. If it's too wet, add flour. If too dry, wet your hands and knead.
- •Resting the dough is not optional — skipping it makes rolling a frustrating fight against springy gluten.
- •Hang cut pasta on a drying rack or lay flat on a floured towel to prevent clumping.
- •Fresh sourdough pasta pairs beautifully with simple sauces: brown butter and sage, cacio e pepe, or a light garlic and olive oil.
