It has taken me many years to get to the place where I just can’t do pasta in a box. No matter what kind I have tried, I end up feeling really full, knowing it is not digesting well. The type of grain used does not impact this feeling. I have tried brown rice, sprouted grains, even einkorn (the original wheat variety). The more I read about how pasta is made in a factory type setting, the more it makes sense that I do not digest these pastas. The processing changes the grain to be something quite different than the original contents in the flour it started out as.

This sourdough was not sour at all after 24 hours of fermenting in the fridge. So I estimate it could be made and then left in the fridge to ferment for up to 5 days. Depending on the flour you use, the liquid amount can be tweaked. I used sifted spelt flour, freshly milled, and a wheat starter. The end result was a very elastic dough that thinned out well for the pasta machine. The texture after boiling for several minutes was the truest al dente I have had in a long time.

Sourdough Pasta

Ingredients:

• 4 egg yolks, pastured preferably
• 3/4 c sourdough starter
• 4 cups spelt flour
• 3-4-1 c filtered water
• 1 tsp salt

Method:

1. Pour starter, salt, and yolks into the mixer with the dough hook. Start mixer on low.
2. Add 4 cups of flour, one at a time.
3. Pour water in slowly. Scraping sides of the bowl and checking dough consistency. It needs to be a little drier than normal bread sourdough, since it’s going to be rolled out.
4. Knead for about 5 minutes on a medium speed until elastic.
5. Keep covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
6. When ready to roll out, start in the afternoon (if it’s for dinner). Use your pasta machine according to its directions.
7. Let noodles air dry for about 1-4 hours prior to boiling.
8. When ready to serve, boil in a salted pot of water for about 5 minutes. When they float to the top, they’re ready.
9. Serve with your favorite sauce and enjoy! These are very hardy, so a little goes a long way.
10. If you won’t be using right away, these can be dried out and stored in the fridge. Note that they will continue to ferment though and get more and more sour.

We enjoyed this pasta tonight with a raw garlic-basil alfredo sauce. For our sauce we just blended raw farmer’s cheese, cream, milk, garlic, salt, and basil and poured right onto the pasta before serving. Topped with parmesan cheese and served with a salad – Yum! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.