Discard Pea Pasta
Pasta is in my blood (maybe even more so than bread?!). I started making pasta a few years ago, but my family has made pasta for generations. I have memories of making gnocchi from scratch with my Italian grandma as a child ~ the original inspiration! Here we have a pasta recipe with the addition of sourdough discard (you know me… love any reason to use discard). The idea to add the peas comes from the Pasta Queen herself, Linda Miller Nicholson. I’ve played around with this recipe enough that I think it’s worthy of posting!
Dough Ingredients:
66g thawed green peas
2 eggs
285g OO pasta flour (or AP)
100g sourdough discard (100% hydration)
Process:
Combine thawed peas, eggs and sourdough discard in a blender. Blend until you have a smooth purée.
Add the purée to the flour and mix. Use your hands once a wooden spoon has done all it can. Continue to work the dough until you don’t see any dry bits. Work the dough until you have a smooth ball. If it’s sticky, add a bit of flour.
Wrap the dough ball tightly in plastic wrap and let it sit for at least one hour or up to a few at room temperature. You can also put it in the fridge and use it the next day.
When you’re ready to make pasta, divide the dough into 4 equal parts. It might feel a tiny bit sticky, but it shouldn’t be super sticking to things. Lightly flour the doughs and a work surface.
Roll each 1/4 of the dough out until it’s as thin as you can get it. If you have a pasta sheet roller or roller attachment for the stand mixer, roll it until you hit setting #5 (of 9).
Recipe continues below.
6. Let each pasta sheet rest on a very well floured flat surface while you make the rest of them. You’ll end up with 4 very long sheets of pasta.
7. Cut each pasta sheet into desired shape(s). I generously flour them, roll them up, and slice them that way. Sometimes I also just slice them with a pizza cutter. And I almost always go for fettuccine.
8. As you slice, pile the pasta into little nests on a parchment lined baking sheet. I like to keep my completed pasta in the fridge.
9. Leave your pasta nests in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it. Boil a VERY large pot of water with 5-6 tablespoons of salt in it (I used a 5 quart Dutch oven filled 3/4 of the way up).
10. When the water comes to a roiling boil, drop the pasta nests in and gently stir them around. Cook for 1-2 minutes (fresh pasta cooks almost instantaneously). Strain the pasta and immediately add butter or oil into the pot. Toss the pasta in the pot with the butter or oil after you drain it. Top with parmesan or whatever you’d like!
I recommend eating this pasta as soon as you make it. If you have some leftover, you can keep it in a sealed container in the fridge and microwave a bowl of it the next day. It’s best fresh from the pot, though!
If you make this, I’d love to see! Tag @nokneadtoworry on Instagram.
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