Sourdough Discard Pasta
This sourdough discard pasta recipe transforms unfed starter into silky, golden homemade noodles with a subtle tangy depth that elevates any sauce. Ready in about an hour with just 5 ingredients, it's the perfect zero-waste project for fresh pasta lovers.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl or clean countertop - For mixing and kneading the dough
- Fork - For mixing the initial dough
- Digital kitchen scale - Highly recommended for accurate measurements
- Pasta machine - Optional but highly recommended for even thickness
- Heavy rolling pin - For rolling dough by hand if no machine is available
- Sharp knife or pasta cutter wheel - For cutting noodles
- Large pot - For boiling pasta
- Colander - For draining
- Clean kitchen towels or pasta drying rack - For resting and drying cut pasta
- Plastic wrap or clean bowl - To cover resting dough
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour or 00 flour - 240g, plus extra for dusting
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- 100 g sourdough discard - about 1/3 cup, unfed or recently fed, no more than 10 days old
- 1 teaspoon olive oil - 5ml
- 0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt - 3g
- 1-2 tablespoons water - 15-30ml, if needed to adjust dough consistency
For Serving
- 1 cup pasta cooking water - 240ml, reserved before draining (not consumed directly)
- your favorite sauce - to serve
- grated Parmesan - for serving, optional
Instructions
- Mix the flour, eggs, sourdough discard, olive oil, and salt together in a well or bowl until a shaggy dough forms. Add water a tablespoon at a time if the dough is too dry.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
- Divide the rested dough into 4 equal portions and flatten each into an oval. Keep unused portions covered.
- Roll each portion through a pasta machine, starting at the widest setting and gradually decreasing to your desired thickness. Alternatively, roll with a rolling pin to 1-2mm thick.
- Dust each rolled sheet with flour, then loosely roll and cut into noodles. Cut 5-6mm wide for fettuccine, 2-2.5cm for pappardelle, or use a spaghetti cutter attachment.
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Add fresh pasta and cook for 2 to 4 minutes until al dente.
- Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain. Toss the pasta with your sauce, adding splashes of reserved water to emulsify. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Flour Options: 00 flour produces the silkiest pasta. All-purpose works well too. For a nuttier flavor, swap up to half with semolina flour.
- Discard Age: Use discard no more than 10 days old for the best flavor. Older discard can develop off-flavors.
- Dough Consistency: If the dough is too stiff and crumbly, add water one teaspoon at a time. If too sticky, dust lightly with flour and continue kneading.
- Resting is Essential: Don't skip the 30-minute rest. Unrested dough will be elastic and difficult to roll thin.
- Pasta Machine Alternative: A heavy rolling pin works well with patience. Roll evenly and rotate frequently for consistent thickness.
- Overnight Fermentation: For more complex flavor and better digestibility, refrigerate the wrapped dough for 12-24 hours before rolling.
- Storage Options: Fresh pasta keeps in the fridge for 2 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Dry completely for room-temperature storage up to 2 weeks.
- Salt the Water Well: Use 1-2 tablespoons of salt per 4 quarts of water for properly seasoned pasta that rivals restaurant quality.
- Sauce Pairing: Thin noodles like spaghetti suit light sauces; wide pappardelle handle hearty ragus beautifully.
- Always Reserve Pasta Water: The starchy cooking water is essential for emulsifying and thickening sauces to coat the noodles perfectly.