I love spaetzle. It’s so comforting and German. It’s pasta with a twist, with some crunch, with some extra butter, and some herbs when you feel like it. This recipe from TK member Candi reminded me how great and versatile spaetzle can be.
One of the things I like about her recipe is that it is 4-ingredient cooking, and they were all things that I had on hand. I of course couldn’t help myself and made it 5-ingredient cooking. I added mustard powder for a little extra flair and color. But you don’t have to.
Begin by adding the flour to a large bowl.
To that add the salt …
And the mustard powder …
And mix it all together.
Next come the wet ingredients. Beat the eggs …
And add them to your mixture.
Then add the water.
Begin to stir it all together and work out all of the lumps.
It will be the consistency of a batter, slightly elastic but able to pour easily.
Bring some water or stock to a rolling boil. Add a bit of salt if your liquid is salt-free.
Have a colander and a pastry scraper or spatula ready. You could also use a spaetzle maker but I didn’t have one so I used a colander with large holes.
Pour the dough into the colander. You’ll want to keep it above the steam so that it doesn’t cook before it gets pushed through the holes.
Press it through the colander with the pastry scraper or a spatula. Drops will fall into the water and cook instantly.
Let it boil for about 3-4 minutes so that the flour cooks well.
You’ll then remove the spaetzle from the water and strain it into a bowl.
This is what it will look like when fully boiled.
You could serve it like this tossed with a bit of olive oil.
Or you could take it one step further, which I like to do.
I toss the spaetzle in the pan and brown it in some olive oil or butter. It gives it a nice texture and flavor.
Fresh herbs are also a bonus. Parsley would be great but I had sage so that’s what I used.
Chop it up finely …
And just as the spaetzle is browned how you’d like it, add a bit of butter to help loosen it from the pan.
A little pepper …
And the herbs …
And there you have it!
Crunchy, flavorful spaetzle. Thanks to Candi for this great recipe! Go check out her blog, All Day Night, to see more of her recipes and read about the adventures of the Carson family.
Also check out the great spaetzle recipes by these other TK members:
- Homemade Spaetzle by Christined
- Spaetzle with Gruyere Cheese and Caramelized Onion by Global Table Adventure
- Spaetzle and Lentils by Fujimama
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Description
Tasty little dumplings! Serve in place of noodles, rice, or potatoes.
Ingredients
- 2 whole Eggs, Beaten
- ¾ cups Water
- 1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
- ¼ teaspoons Salt
- 1 cube Bouillon (I Used Chicken)
- Butter, To Taste
- Parsley, To Taste
- Salt To Taste
Preparation Instructions
Combine eggs, water, flour and salt, beating until smooth.
Add bouillon cube to 6 cups boiling water. Put batter into the spaetzle maker and place over the pot of boiling water.
Slide the basket back and forth letting tiny dumplings fall into the water. When done, they will rise to the surface.
Do not put too much batter into water at a time or it will not cook properly.
Use a slotted spoon to strain them and place in a colander.
Gently shake off excess water and place into a large covered bowl.
Repeat the process until all of the dough is used.
Lightly toss with butter, parsley, and salt to taste and serve in place of noodles, rice, or potatoes. In the picture above, I served it with my honey balsamic chicken.
I’ve never tried making this without my spaetzle maker, but I’ve heard you can use a rubber spatula to press spaetzle batter into pot through 1/4-inch holes of coarse grater, colander, etc….
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There’s so much to say about Georgia, we don’t know where to start. Leaving Wall Street for the French Culinary Institute, followed by a stint at the Gramercy Tavern and La Chassagnette in France, her passion for food and food traditions are evident and inspiring. Visit her site at Georgia Pellegrini, where you’ll find more recipes, photos, learn all about her wonderful book Food Heroes, and enjoy her latest adventures.
61 Comments
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ladystiles on 6.1.2011
oh this is fantastic. I have been meaning to make this for awhile. The time is now!
Teresa on 6.1.2011
My mom basically makes this same thing, but with milk instead of water and we call them “dumplings”. Our family’s favorite way to eat them is in Pea Soup (not a creamed soup, just an old Missouri German way to make it). Cook some fresh hulled peas (if you have them, frozen is ok, too) in salted water with LOTS of chopped green onion, at least one stick of BUTTER, salt and pepper to taste. When peas are cooked, add the dumpling mixture to the water. Have to be careful that water is not at a rolling boil. Mom just drizzles it in with a spoon while one of us girls slowly and carefully shakes the pot. The best is when a little dumpling mix half-coats a few peas.Mmmm….. Also good in chicken soup. I used to request this for my June birthday all the time. A little of our momma’s love in each one
Jeanne (aka NanaBread) on 6.1.2011
Perfect timing! The Complete Package and I just discovered spaetzle last winter in Germany. We went to visit the German Christmas Markets, and fell in love with spaetzle along the way. We’ve been dreaming of making it at home, so thanks a million for sharing this! Your pan browned version with butter and sage is right up my alley. Can’t wait to try it!
Jill H on 6.1.2011
This looks great! I always wanted to try Spaetzle but was afraid b/c I didn’t think I had the right tools. All I need is a colander? I have that!
Thanks for the recipe.
Cristina on 6.1.2011
Wow! It looks so crunchy and yummy!
Baking and Mistaking on 6.1.2011
This looks amazing! I’m getting hungry already…
blue-eyes on 6.1.2011
My sister’s ex used to make this with feta and crumbled bacon. My mouth watering thinking about it.
carolinagirl on 6.1.2011
I love spaetzle, I just had it for the first time last year at a cooking class. It is so easy to make and I bought a spaetzle maker on amazon for really cheap! Can’t wait to try it again with the mustard powder!
Anne on 6.1.2011
I grew up on spaetzle, my Mom was very German. She made the dough and rolled it and then put it on a wooden cutting board and took a good sized knife and cut that dough into the water that was at a rolling boil and cooked it thataway. Then she’d drain it and fry it in the skillet. To die for good! I’ve not made it for a long time because my knife skills aren’t as good as hers were, so I’m going to have to try this way of making it!
Simone on 6.1.2011
YUM Spätzle.
And once cooked, put butter on them. Not oil, butter. It just has to be the real thing.
One thing though – mustard powder has no place in proper German Spätzle. Take it from a Swabian who was raised on the stuff.
kitchenlovenest on 6.1.2011
This looks awesome! I just recently had spaetzle for the first time at a German restaurant here in Chicago and I’ve been wanting to make it. The step by step is the final prod I needed!