Spaetzle
Spaetzle are neither pasta nor dumplings but something in between: the batter is too loose to roll and too thick to pour. You press it through a colander or scrape it off a wet board with a knife, straight into the boiling water. The one thing that matters is beating the batter long enough to raise bubbles in it — those bubbles are what make the noodles light instead of rubbery.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Rest
- 20 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 330 kcal
Ingredients
Makes: 4 servings as a side
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Mix the batter
Put the flour and salt in a bowl, break in the eggs and start working with a wooden spoon, adding the water as you go. The batter should be thick and stretchy, falling off the spoon in a slow ribbon rather than pouring.
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Step 2: Beat up bubbles
Keep beating with the spoon for another 3–4 minutes, lifting the batter and slapping it against the side of the bowl, until bubbles appear on the surface. This is the only thing that makes spaetzle light.
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Step 3: Rest it
Cover and leave 20 minutes at room temperature. The flour takes up the water, the batter goes smooth and stops tearing as it is pressed.
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Step 4: Boil the water
Bring a wide pan of salted water to the boil and drop it to a steady simmer. Stand a bowl of cold water beside it for the cooked noodles.
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Step 5: Form the noodles
Work in batches: put some batter on a colander and push it through with a spatula straight into the water, or spread it thinly on a wet board and scrape off short strips with a knife. Do not crowd the pan.
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Step 6: Fish them out
They are done the moment they float, about 2–3 minutes. Lift them out with a slotted spoon into the cold water so they do not stick, then drain.
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Step 7: Fry in butter
Melt the butter in a large frying pan and cook the spaetzle over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring now and then, until some edges are golden. Grate over nutmeg, scatter parsley and serve hot.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Wet the board and knife before every batch. Dry, the batter glues itself on and you start the whole thing again.
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Variation
For Käsespätzle, stir 150 g of grated hard cheese into the hot noodles and pile fried golden onions on top. That is dinner, not a side dish.
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Tip
The batter needs its rest but not more than an hour — after that it thins out and the noodles come out flat.
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Storage
Boiled spaetzle keep three days in the fridge. Fry them in butter just before serving rather than in advance.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 330 kcal | 1,320 kcal |
| Protein | 12 g | 48 g |
| Fat | 10 g | 40 g |
| Carbohydrates | 47 g | 188 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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