Homemade Pasta with Sourdough Discard

Homemade Pasta with Sourdough Discard has officially become one of my new favorite ways to use extra discard in the kitchen. The time has finally come — my husband, who probably loves pasta even more than I do, bought a pasta maker! Of course, the very first thing I wanted to do was experiment and find a way to sneak some sourdough discard into the dough.

The result completely exceeded my expectations. The pasta came out incredibly delicious with a wonderful texture and subtle depth of flavor that made it feel extra special compared to regular homemade pasta. The sourdough discard adds just a slight complexity and richness without overpowering the dough, creating pasta that tastes fresh, delicate, and beautifully homemade.

One of the things I love most about making pasta from scratch is how satisfying the entire process feels. Watching the dough come together, rolling it thinner and thinner through the pasta machine, and cutting fresh noodles feels both relaxing and rewarding. Fresh pasta has a completely different texture from dried store-bought pasta — softer, silkier, and much more tender once cooked.

The sourdough discard also helps create a dough that is smooth and easy to work with. Once rolled out, the sheets become beautifully elastic and delicate, perfect for fettuccine, tagliatelle, ravioli, lasagna sheets, or almost any pasta shape you want to make. The possibilities are endless.

Another great thing about this recipe is how versatile the pasta is. It pairs wonderfully with simple butter sauces, creamy Alfredo, tomato sauces, pesto, roasted vegetables, seafood, or hearty meat sauces. Because the pasta itself has such beautiful flavor and texture, even the simplest sauces taste elevated.

Fresh homemade pasta cooks very quickly, usually within just a few minutes, making it perfect for weeknight dinners that still feel special and comforting. The aroma and texture are absolutely incredible when served fresh and warm.

Honestly, the pasta turned out so good that I immediately started planning the next batch before we even finished dinner. Once you experience homemade pasta made from scratch — especially with the added flavor from sourdough discard — it becomes very difficult to go back to boxed pasta again.

This recipe is simple, fun, comforting, and a wonderful way to reduce waste while creating something the whole family will absolutely love.

Ingredients

• 125g all purpose flour
• 125g semolina flour
• 6 egg yolks (or 2 large eggs )
• 60g sourdough discard
• 1/2 tsp of olive oil

Directions

• Sift the flour on the clean work surface, make a hollow, add the yolks( or eggs) sourdough discard.
• Use a fork to whisk yolks and discard into a flour.
• Sprinkle olive oil on top of the mixture and with help of your hands start working with the dough.
• The dough will feel dry at the beginning but in about of 10-12 min of kneading, it will come up all  together.

• If the dough will remain too stiff add little more of yolk or egg white, if it is too soft, add little more flour.
• Try to round the dough into a ball. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 min.
• Divide the dough in 4-6 pieces. Round each piece, flatten it with rolling pin.
• Run the dough through pasta roller. Start with number 1 or 2.
• Run the dough through pasta roller again, but at this time use number 4 or 5 or even 6 if you would like your pasta to be thinner.

• Now run the pasta sheet through pasta cutter.
• Sprinkle cut pasta with some flour to prevent sticking.
• Cook pasta in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until al dente.

Enjoy!

Homemade Pasta with Sourdough Discard

265kcal

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Prep 25 minutes mins

Cook 3 minutes mins

Total 58 minutes mins

This homemade pasta recipe is a fantastic, flavorful way to utilize your leftover sourdough discard. Blending all-purpose flour and semolina yields an ideal al dente texture that pairs beautifully with your favorite sauces, while making sure none of your starter goes to waste.

Servings 5 Servings

Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

1x2x3x

The Fresh Pasta Matrix

• ▢ 125 g All-purpose flour
• ▢ 125 g Semolina flour
• ▢ 6 Egg yolks (Alternatively: swap for 2 whole large eggs)
• ▢ 60 g Sourdough discard
• ▢ 1/2 tsp Olive oil
• ▢ Extra flour (Reserved strictly for dusting the cut strands)

Equipment

• ▢
  Pasta Maker / Roller
• ▢
  Fork
• ▢
  Rolling Pin
• ▢
  Flour Sifter
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale
• ▢
  Plastic Wrap

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

Well Blending & Manual Hand Kneading

1. Sift the 125g of all-purpose flour and 125g of semolina flour directly onto a clean, spacious work surface. Gather the flours together and use your fingers to create a wide hollow well in the exact center.
2. Drop the 6 egg yolks (or 2 whole eggs) and the 60g of sourdough discard straight into the hollow well.
3. Using a fork, gently whisk the yolks and sourdough discard together, slowly drawing in the surrounding flour wall a little bit at a time.
4. Drizzle the 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil across the crumbly mixture, then begin working the dough together forcefully with both hands.
5. The mixture will feel remarkably dry and crumbly at the start. Continue kneading intensely for 10 to 12 minutes; the residual moisture will slowly hydrate the flours, gathering the mass into a unified dough. Note: If the matrix remains stubbornly stiff or brittle after 8 minutes, knead in a tiny splash of extra egg white or yolk. If it feels too wet or soft, work in a dusting of extra flour.
6. Shape the smooth dough into a firm ball, wrap it securely in plastic wrap, and let it rest undisturbed on your counter for 30 minutes.

Mechanical Rolling & Precision Cutting

1. Unwrap the rested dough and cut it cleanly into 4 to 6 equal pieces using a bench scraper or knife.
2. Take one piece of dough (keeping the remaining pieces covered so they don’t dry out) and flatten it into a rough disc using a rolling pin.
3. Set your pasta roller to its widest setting (typically number 1 or 2). Run the flattened dough sheet smoothly through the machine.
4. Adjust the machine down incrementally to a thinner setting (such as number 4, 5, or 6 depending on how delicate you prefer your noodles) and feed the sheet through again to create a long, uniform pasta sheet.
5. Run your thin sheet directly through the pasta cutter attachment to slice it into clean strands. Immediately toss the fresh noodles with a generous dusting of flour to prevent them from sticking together. Repeat for the remaining portions.

Flash Boiling

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat.
2. Drop the fresh pasta strands into the water and cook for a brief 2 to 3 minutes just until they float to the top and reach a perfect al dente bite. Drain immediately, toss with your favorite sauce, and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories265kcalCarbohydrates40gProtein9gFat7gSaturated Fat2gPolyunsaturated Fat1gMonounsaturated Fat3gCholesterol233mgSodium11mgPotassium97mgFiber2gSugar0.2gVitamin A311IUCalcium36mgIron3mg

Notes

• The Hydration Patience Guardrail: Do not panic or add water to the mix during step 5 when the dough looks like dry sand. Fresh egg pasta relies on an incredibly dense structural format to hold its shape during rolling. Trust the 10-minute kneading timeline—the mechanical friction and hand warmth will draw the moisture out of the sourdough discard to create a completely smooth, unified ball.
• Why the Plastic Rest is Critical: Skipping the 30-minute counter rest will make your dough nearly impossible to roll out smoothly. Kneading builds intense structural elasticity in wheat proteins. Resting allows those tight gluten lines to slacken completely, ensuring the sheets glide effortlessly through your pasta maker without snapping back, tearing, or wrinkling.
• Long-Term Dehydration Storage: If you aren’t planning to cook your pasta immediately, you can preserve it for later. Arrange the cut flour-dusted strands into loose nests and let them air-dry completely on a drying rack or towel. Once they are entirely brittle, seal them inside an airtight container or bag and store them safely in your refrigerator.
• Managing Egg Hydration Variances: Whole eggs contain significantly more water than pure fat-rich yolks. If you choose the 2 whole egg option instead of the 6 yolks, your initial dough mass will feel much wetter early on. Keep a small dish of extra semolina nearby to dust your hands and workspace if the dough begins sticking to your counter.

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