Homemade Sourdough Pasta Recipe

Learn how to make delicious sourdough pasta with this step-by-step recipe! All you need is flour, sourdough starter and eggs. Mix up the dough and have fresh pasta on the table in the same day or allow it long ferment to maximize the health benefits. All without an expensive pasta maker!

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Pasta is not something that people usually make from scratch, but homemade pasta so much more delicious and rewarding than pasta from a box! The taste and texture honestly just does not compare. It is easy to make fettuccini noodles, lasagna noodles, or even ravioli! The best part is that all you need are three simple ingredients – all purpose flour, sourdough starter (active sourdough starter or sourdough discard) and fresh eggs. Just boil the noodles and top with your favorite sauce for an impressive, from-scratch meal.

One thing I love about this fresh homemade pasta recipe is that it’s totally doable without any special equipment. I am pretty minimalist in my kitchen, so I do not have a pasta roller or pasta cutter. There are great hand crank pasta machines out there, or this handy KitchenAid attachment, but I find that it works just fine to roll the sourdough pasta dough into a thin sheet and cut with a pizza cutter. It’s fun to get kids involved rolling and cutting the dough into different pasta shapes, too. Of course, the pasta is not uniform in shape by any means, but I love a good rustic, homemade comfort food that little hands have helped prepare. 

everything you’ll need to make fresh sourdough pasta

ingredients

Sourdough starter – Active, fed starter or discard work for this recipe. This is a great way to use up extra sourdough discard! If you opt to use sourdough discard, use sourdough that has recently been fed and has since deflated… not discard that has been sitting in the fridge for months. This will have way too strong of a flavor.

Flour – Organic, all purpose flour

Eggs – Local, pasture raised eggs give the dough a beautiful golden color

​Olive oil – Only necessary if the dough is too dry while kneading. Eggs vary in size and sourdough starters vary in hydration, so the dough may need a little extra moisture.

tools and equipment

• Stand mixer
• Measuring cups
• Rolling pin
• Sharp knife or pizza cutter
• Pasta machine and pasta drying rack (optional)

what is so great about this sourdough pasta recipe

It’s delicious – Believe me when I say homemade pasta does not even compare to store-bought pasta. The taste is silky soft like any fresh pasta, and the flavor is so much better than pasta from a box. 

It’s healthy – I love adding sourdough starter to any recipe that calls for grains. Sourdough ferments whatever it touches. With an adequate amount of time and the correct temperature, the naturally occurring acids and bacteria break down the gluten enzymes making sourdough pasta easier to digest. You can’t talk about sourdough- whether it’s sourdough bread, sourdough crackers or sourdough pasta- without mentioning the health benefits for the gut. 

why sourdough?

Not only does the addition of sourdough starter add a really delicious layer of flavor to the fresh pasta dough, it greatly increases the digestibility. The health benefits increase even more if you choose the long fermented option and allow the sourdough some extra time to go to work breaking down the gluten. Fermenting the grains makes the pasta healthier and easier to digest. 

Making sourdough pasta is a bit of a labor of love. Definitely not as easy as breaking open a box from the store. But the process is fun and so rewarding! There is something therapeutic about working the dough with your hands and creating a delicious meal completely from scratch. Putting in the extra time and effort is so worth it!

how to make easy homemade sourdough pasta

Step 1: Add all ingredients to a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Knead on low speed for 4-5 minutes until the dough is completely smooth. You could also do this by hand.

Step 2: Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. After the dough has rested, you can roll it out right away or refrigerate for 24 hours to prolong the fermentation process. (If you refrigerate the dough, allow it to come to room temperature before moving on to the next step.)

Step 3: Dust a clean work surface with a little flour. Divide the dough in half and roll out each portion as thin as possible. Try to roll it out evenly so the thickness is consistent – this will make sure the pasta cooks evenly. 

Step 4: Cut pasta into the desired shape with a pizza cutter. Fettuccini noodles (just a little wider than spaghetti) are the easiest to work with. The thinner you cut the pasta, the easier the strands will break. Lasagna noodles are really fun too!

Step 5: As you cut the noodles, lay them on a cookie sheet and dust the noodles with a little flour so they don’t stick together. Lay flat or hang to dry. Let the pasta dry at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.

Step 6: Bring a large pot full of water to a boil. Generously salt the boiling water. 

Step 7: Add dried pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente (soft but not mushy). Fresh pasta cooks quickly – depending on the thickness, it will take anywhere from 2-7 minutes. Use a fork to separate the noodles so they don’t stick together as they cook. Remove the pasta with tongs from the pasta water when it’s done cooking. 

Step 8: Serve right away with your favorite sauce!

how to ferment sourdough pasta 

​Same day sourdough pasta: This is the quick method for making the pasta dough and cooking in the same day. Follow the instructions above, but skip the 24 hour fermentation time in the refrigerator.

24 hour overnight option: If you want to increase the health benefits and digestibility, allow the pasta dough to ferment overnight. After mixing the ingredients and allowing the dough to rest, put the wrapped dough ball into the fridge for 24 hours. Allow it to come to room temperature before rolling out and cutting about 30 minutes-1 hour, otherwise it will be too stiff. Continue with the next steps as normal.

recipe tips and notes –

• ​Eggs vary in size and sourdough starter varies in hydration. If the dough is too dry to come together while kneading, add a little bit of olive oil at a time until the dough comes together and forms a ball. 
• When rolling out pasta sheets, the rule of thumb is to roll them until you can see your hand through it when you hold it up. That is the thickness we are going for. 
• ​When you’re ready to cook your pasta, make sure to use a nice large pot. If your pot is too small, the pasta will be sticky at the end.
• Pasta dough dries out quickly. Whenever you’re not working with the dough or a portion of the dough, make sure to wrap it up in plastic wrap or keep in an airtight container. If the dough does start to dry out, it’s totally ok. Just continue with the steps as normal. 

how to cook sourdough pasta

Add the pasta to a large pot of boiling water. Make sure to generously salt the water first. Cook the pasta anywhere from 2-7 minutes depending on thickness. Use a fork to separate the noodles so they don’t stick together as they cook. Taste it often to check for doneness. The texture should be al dente (soft but with a bite). When finished, use tongs to transfer the pasta your favorite sauce.

how to store dried sourdough pasta

If you don’t plan on cooking your pasta right away, allow it to dry for at least 24 hours. You can either lay it out on parchment paper or hang to dry. Once it is completely dry, store it in a mason jar or ziploc bag for up to one year.

how to freeze sourdough pasta

Allow the pasta to dry for about 30 minutes before transferring to the freezer. This will keep the noodles from sticking together. Freeze in a ziploc bag, tightly sealed. Cook directly from frozen. 

try these sourdough recipes too!

• Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread
• Sourdough Artisan Bread
• Sourdough Rosemary Garlic Bread
• Sourdough Banana Bread
• Sourdough Breadsticks

recipe card for sourdough pasta

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