Sourdough Pappardelle
Pappardelle is tagliatelle's broader cousin, and the easiest shape of all to cut by hand because precision matters least. Wide ribbons want a sauce with something to cling to — this is ragù territory.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 batch sourdough pasta dough (200g 00 flour, 100g discard, 2 eggs, ½ tsp salt)
To finish
- Semolina flour, for dusting
- A slow-cooked ragù, or butter and grated hard cheese
Method
- Prepare the dough. Make and rest the sourdough pasta dough. Pappardelle is thicker than tagliatelle, so stop rolling one setting earlier.
- Roll. Roll each quarter to the third-thinnest setting, around 1.5mm. The extra body stops wide ribbons tearing under a heavy sauce.
- Rest the sheets. Lay on a floured cloth for 10 minutes so the surface firms slightly.
- Cut wide. Dust well with semolina, fold loosely, and cut into ribbons 2–3cm wide. A pastry wheel gives you the traditional fluted edge if you have one.
- Separate. Unfurl each ribbon and lay them in loose folds on a semolina-dusted tray. Do not stack them flat.
- Cook. Boil in well-salted water for 3–4 minutes. Wide ribbons need slightly longer than thin ones.
- Finish in the pan. Drain, keeping a mugful of water, and toss through your sauce over a low heat for a minute so the pasta absorbs some of it.
No starter yet?
Every recipe here begins with a live culture. You can buy sourdough starter from us — lab-verified, active in about two hours, free UK delivery. Then keep the discard for pasta.
FAQ
How wide should pappardelle be?
Traditionally between 2 and 3cm. Anything narrower is closer to tagliatelle. The name comes from the Italian pappare, meaning to gobble, which tells you the shape is meant to be generous.
Do I need a pastry wheel for the fluted edge?
No. A plain knife gives you straight-edged pappardelle, which is perfectly traditional in many parts of Italy. The fluted edge is decorative and holds a fraction more sauce, but it changes nothing fundamental.
Why did my pappardelle tear?
Usually rolled too thin. Wide ribbons need more body than narrow ones — stop at about 1.5mm rather than taking the sheet to the thinnest setting. Tearing can also mean the dough was under-rested.
Can I make pappardelle without a pasta machine?
Yes, and it is the best hand-rolled shape to attempt. Because the ribbons are wide, small variations in thickness are far less noticeable than they would be on thinner shapes.
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