I enjoy making traditional Italian pasta but it is a process that can be off putting to some. For home cooks who don’t have an Italian Nona to teach them how to roll out pasta dough by hand, you need a pasta roller and not everybody has one of those. Enter, Spaetzle.
Spaetzle or Spätzle, if you don’t know, is a kind of pasta popular in Germany and many parts of eastern Europe. Unlike its Italian cousin, spaetzle is super quick and easy to make. If you happen to own a spaetzle press so much the better. If not a potato ricer makes a good spaetzle press. You haven’t got one of those either? No problem. Dig out your colander, the one with the large holes and press the batter through that.
When it comes to regional dishes like Yorkshire pudding or Louisiana gumbo or German spãtzle, there is always a question of authenticity. What makes any of these dishes “authentic”? My response to that is, authentic is what you want it to be. So long as you remain true to the roots of the dish you can make it however you like. A case in point: not long ago I was served what i can only describe as a deconstructed Pasta alla Carbonara. The chef had creatively cut up the spaghetti and deep fried it to a crisp. He set it in a parmesan cream sauce with a soft boiled egg on top and sprinkled it with pancetta bits. All of the elements of a classic carbonara were there but, authentic? I’ll leave that for you to decide!
Spaetzle is one of those dishes that purists will argue over. This version adds milk to the batter rather than water. You can use either.
The process goes like this: you mix up the batter which only takes a few minutes. You let that rest for half an hour. Then you bring a pot of salted water to a boil and pass the batter through your spaetzle press directly into the water. After a minute or so the pasta bits will float to the top and its done. You scoop out the spaetzle and toss it in a hot skillet with a generous knob of butter. You can then dress the spaetzle as you would any other pasta. Not counting the half hour rest the hands on time is around 10 minutes. So, fresh pasta on a Tuesday night? Absolutely doable with this spaetzle recipe.
This recipe is inspired by The Stay At Home Chef who’s German grandmother taught her how to make it.
Spaetzle
Equipment
- Spaetzle Press See note below for alternative to a spaetzle press
Ingredients
- 2 cups (10oz/285g) all purpose (plain) flour
- 1/4 Tsp grated nutmeg
- 1 TBS fresh herbs – your choice: parsley, thyme, sage, a mix – finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 6 eggs lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup (120ml) milk or water
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick/2 oz/56g) unsalted butter to finish
Instructions
- In a large bowl stir together the flour, nutmeg and herbs with a pinch of salt and a sprinkle of pepper.
- Add the beaten eggs and about half the milk or water and stir to a smooth batter. If it seems too stiff add more liquid until the batter is just shy of pouring consistency. *See note below. Set it aside to rest for about 30 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. While it comes to a boil set a large skillet over low heat and add the butter.
- When the water is boiling scoop/pour half the batter into the hopper of the spaetzle press set over the pan to allow the batter to fall directly into the hot water. **See note below. After a minute or less the spaetzle will float. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon into the warm skillet. Repeat with any remaining batter.
- Increase the heat under the skillet and briefly toss the spaetzle in the butter to warm them up. Dress the spaetzle however you like and serve immediately alongside roasted chicken or a pork chop. ***See note below.
Notes
