Sourdough Semolina Pasta
No eggs and no fancy tools
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 160 g sourdough starter fed with semola rimacinata (or replace with 80g semola + 80g water)
- 320 g semola rimacinata
- 120 g hot water
Instructions
Dough Preparation
- Feed your starter with semola rimacinata. I recommend using 20g of your regular started fed with 80g semola and 80g water, to make sure you have enough! You can use it at peak, but it doesn’t need to be at peak—inactive/discard works just fine.
- Make a well with the flour on a clean surface.
- Pour in hot water and add the starter to the center.
- Mix and knead until a smooth ball forms. If it gets tough and dry, cover it with a bowl for 5 minutes—then keep kneading.
- Wrap in plastic or store in a Ziploc and rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or up to 3 days.
- Let come to room temp for 30 minutes before shaping (this just makes it a little easire to roll out when making flat ribbons).
Shaping Flat Ribbon Pastas
- Roll it out: Dust the surface and dough with semola. Roll thin, flipping and rotating often. Add more flour if it sticks. Rest a few minutes if it resists.
- Shape your pasta: Generously dust your dough with semola. Fold the sheet inward from both sides, like folding a brochure. Use a knife, bench scraper, or pizza cutter to slice into even strips. Gently lift and separate the noodles, giving them a toss in semola to prevent sticking. Let them rest in loose nests or spread out on a floured tray.
Shaping Orechiette
- Start with a clean surface—no flour. You want the dough to grip slightly for shaping.
- Roll a portion of dough into a log about 1 cm thick.
- Cut the log into small 1 cm chunks.
- Using the cutting edge of a butter knife, press down on a piece and drag it toward you (or away—whichever feels more natural). The dough should curl as you drag it.
- Gently invert the piece over your thumb or finger to form the classic orecchiette shape—like a little ear.
Final Steps
- Storage: You can refrigerate the fresh pasta in a sealed container for up to a week.
- To cook: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt—there’s no salt in the dough. Boil the pasta for just 3–5 minutes.
- Serve immediately with your favorite sauce or a drizzle of olive oil.