Spent Grain Pasta: Rustic, Malty, and Rolled With Brewday Texture

Spent Grain Pasta brings a touch of the brewhouse to your pasta plate — hearty, nutty noodles made from scratch using leftover mash from your latest brew day.

It’s chewy, flavorful, and the kind of pasta that actually tastes like something — toasty, earthy, and perfectly built to carry butter, sauce, or cheese with a little more character than your usual flour-only dough.

Ingredients (Makes about 1 lb of pasta — enough for 3–4 servings)

Dry Mix

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup spent grain (wet, well-drained, and finely ground or chopped very fine)
• ½ tsp salt

Wet Mix

• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Optional: 1–2 tsp water or beer (amber ale or cream ale) if needed to loosen the dough

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Dough

1. On a clean counter or in a bowl, combine flour, spent grain, and salt.
2. Make a well in the center and add eggs and olive oil.
3. Mix with a fork, then knead by hand for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add a few drops of water or beer if dry.
4. Wrap in plastic and rest for at least 30 minutes at room temp.

Step 2: Roll & Cut

1. Divide dough into quarters. Roll each piece with a pasta roller or rolling pin to desired thickness.
2. Cut into fettuccine, pappardelle, tagliatelle, or sheets for lasagna or ravioli.
3. Dust with flour and let rest while boiling water or prepping sauce.

Step 3: Cook

1. Bring salted water to a boil.
2. Cook fresh pasta 2–4 minutes until al dente — it cooks fast.
3. Toss with butter, olive oil, or your favorite sauce and serve hot.

Serving Suggestions

• Toss with brown butter and sage for a malty fall pasta
• Serve with mushroom cream sauce or garlic oil and beer cheese
• Use in beer-infused lasagna with spent grain béchamel
• Top with herbed breadcrumbs and aged cheddar for a rustic mac & cheese

Storage

• Store uncooked dough wrapped for 2 days in the fridge
• Cut pasta can be dried on a rack and stored airtight for 1 week
• Freeze portions of rolled, floured pasta flat for 1–2 months

Flavor Variations

• Add 1 tbsp chopped herbs (basil, thyme, or rosemary) to the dough
• Mix in 1 tsp cracked pepper or chili flakes for heat
• Use spent grain from dark beer for richer color and flavor

Beer Pairing

In the Dough

• Optional splash of amber ale, brown ale, or cream ale
• Avoid IPAs or sours — bitterness doesn’t play well with pasta dough

In Your Glass

• Blonde ale or kölsch for a clean complement
• Saison or witbier with herbed sauces
• Brown ale with butter and mushrooms
• Stout or porter with creamy or cheesy pasta

Final Thoughts

Spent Grain Pasta is hands-on, beer-built, and packed with personality — a true brewers’ table staple that gives your grain a second life in hearty, hand-cut form.

From the rolling board to the plate, it’s flavor-forward, zero-waste, and ridiculously satisfying.

Cheers to floured hands, golden noodles, and beer in every bite! 🍝🍺🔥

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