My sourdough mafaldine pasta recipe is made by hand with Italian 00 flour, eggs, and sourdough starter, cut into long ruffled ribbons. Choose from a same-day option or ferment overnight to deepen the flavor. Serves 4-6.
Sourdough mafaldine: it’s the little black dress of pasta shapes.
To make it, I used my master sourdough pasta dough as the base and cut long, wide strips with a fluted pastry wheel to get those classic ruffled edges. If you’re hopelessly Type A, use a ruler to guide you (my strips are always crooked). Otherwise, freeform is fine.
I tested this recipe with both active sourdough starter and discard at 100% hydration, fed with bread flour. Both work.
With active starter, the dough becomes slightly puffier when left to rest for more than 1 hr above 70 F. The key is not to over rest the dough, especially in warm weather, or the sheets will become too soft and lose their shape like chicken skin.
That said, you can make sourdough mafaldine on the same day or ferment overnight in the fridge. The final texture is soft, springy, and smartly designed to catch every bit of sauce!
How To Make Sourdough Mafaldine Pasta {Step-By-Step Recipe}
Step 1: Make The Pasta Dough
Combine Italian 00 flour, eggs, and sourdough starter in a food processor until the dough comes together. It might look like doughy “crumbs” which is fine – just smush it together with your hands when you dump it on your work surface.
Cover and rest briefly, then knead until smooth. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and rest for 1 hour at room temperature, or chill overnight for deeper fermentation.
Step 2: Roll Pasta Sheets & Semi-Dry
I use the KichenAid roller attachment to roll consistently thin pasta sheets. It’s very easy to do. A hand-crank pasta machine works too. I don’t recommend a rolling pin unless you’re experienced rolling pasta dough by hand. It takes time, patience, and ample space to do it!
Then semi-dry the pasta sheets by hanging them over the back of a clean chair. This changes the texture from soft to slightly leathery, helping the pasta to hold its shape. You can see this in the images below.
Step 3: Cut Mafaldine Pasta
Cut your pasta sheet in half, squaring off the top of and bottom. Then position it vertically. Trim the long sides with a fluted pastry wheel to create ruffled edges.
Score into 1/2-inch sections, then cut into long strips (a ruler helps keeps things straight). Arrange in a single layer dusted with semolina flour so they don’t stick.
How To Serve It
Sourdough mafaldine pairs well with my Ragù Bolognese or this chunky pomodoro sauce with fresh or canned tomatoes. It’s simple, yet impressive, and an absolute joy to eat.
Food Styling & Photography: Saltwater Studio
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Hand-Cut Sourdough Mafaldine Pasta
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 6-7 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Sourdough Discard Recipes
- Method: Handmade
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
My sourdough mafaldine pasta is made by hand with Italian 00 flour, eggs, and sourdough starter, cut into long ruffled ribbons. Choose from a same-day option or ferment overnight to deepen the flavor.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 300 g Italian Tipo 00 flour
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten*
- 1 large egg yolk
- 40 g sourdough starter or discard (see note 2)
- Fine semolina flour, for dusting the pasta sheets
*For the eggs, the total cracked weight should be 165 g. If you are short, use a portion of another whole egg (lightly beaten) to make up the difference.
Tools & Equipment
- Scale
- Food processor
- Pasta machine or KitchenAid Roller attachment
- Wooden board or surface to work on
- Fluted Pastry wheel
- Ruler
- Parchment paper
- Sheet pans
Instructions
Step 1: Make the Dough
- Add the flour, eggs, and sourdough starter to the bowl of a food processor. Process until the dough comes together (it might not form a ball – this is ok).
- Remove the dough to a lightly floured wooden surface. Push it together to form a rough ball. Cover with an upturned bowl and let rest for 3-5 minutes.
- Knead the dough by hand for 1-2 minutes or more. If the dough is a bit sticky, add a sprinkle of flour to correct the texture. It should feel smooth, supple, and chalky on the surface when finished (see note 1).
- Form the dough into a ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and rest for 1 hour at room temperature or chill overnight.
Step 2: Roll Pasta Sheets & Semi-Dry
- Cut the dough into quarters (wrap the remaining pieces).
- Working with one dough at a time: roll it into a 6-8 inch oval disc with a rolling pin. You want it the approximate width of your pasta machine.
- Send the disc through the roller attachment (or pasta machine) 2x on each setting (#1-4). Then 1x only, on setting #5. Note: the above settings are based on the Kitchen Aid roller attachment, which is what I use. Please confirm the settings are the same for your pasta machine. #1 should be the lowest, widest setting.
- To semi-dry: Dust the pasta sheet on both sides with semolina flour to prevent sticking. Drape over a rod or the back of a clean chair, about 10 minutes or so, until it feels less doughy and more leathery (but not dried out). This step helps the pasta to hold its shape.
Step 3: Cut Mafaldine Pasta
If you’ve made lattice pie crust, the method is similar. The goal is to create ~1/2 wide by ~10 inch long strips of pasta.
- First: depending on the length of your pasta sheet, you might need to cut it in half to make it easier to work with. Trim off any rounded or uneven edges.
- Second: position the pasta sheet vertically. Using a fluted pastry wheel, trim the tiniest bit off the side lengths. Use a ruler for guidance.
- Third: score across into 1/2 inch wide sections with a sharp knife. Then use your fluted pastry wheel to cut into long strips (mine always come out crooked, so I push my pastry wheel up against a ruler to keep them straight).
- Lastly: arrange your mafaldine in 1 single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan, generously dusted with semolina flour. They can touch a little bit, but be mindful of sticking.
- Repeat to roll, semi dry, and cut the remaining dough.
How To Store, Freeze & Cook Sourdough Pasta
To Store (Short Term):
Toss freshly cut pasta with semolina flour and arrange on a sheet pan in a single layer. Cover with plastic wrap, inverted sheet pan, or store in an airtight container. Leave at room temperature if cooking within 1–2 hours, or refrigerate for up to 12 hours. The flavor will continue to deepen when the cut noodles are chilled. Note: fresh pasta might oxidize and stick together if chilled past 24 hrs.
To Freeze:
Air-dry pasta in a single layer for 15–20 minutes first (uncovered) to reduce sticking. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month (any longer and it might dry out and break). No need to thaw; cook straight from frozen.
To Cook:
Bring 6 quarts of generously salted water to a boil. I don’t give exact amounts for the salt, because the flavor of salt varies considerably. Add the pasta and cook for 2–7 minutes, depending on the thickness. Always taste it. It should be al dente- tender with a slight bite. Use tongs to transfer pasta directly to your sauce.
Notes
1.) The texture of your pasta dough will depend on the consistency of your sourdough starter AND the current ambient temperature. The longer the dough rests, the softer it will get. Keep this in mind if the temperature is warm. Adjust your timing as needed.
2.) For the sourdough starter: use active, discard, or recently fed & collapsed starter. Feed with all white flour.
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