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German: Spätzle

Source of Recipe

From "Scratch" by Maria Rodale


Recipe Introduction

"Spätzle are a type of German pasta. Meaning 'little sparrows,' they're small egg-based noodles or dumplings that are served to soak up gravy, butter, or sauce. Spätzle, like most comfort foods, aren't hard to make at all. I cook mine using a spätzle maker, but according to my blog readers, you can also use a colander or a cheese grater to form the nuggety shapes."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 large eggs
â—¦ ¾ cup whole milk
â—¦ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
â—¦ 2 cups all-purpose flour
â—¦ ½ teaspoon salt
â—¦ 1 tablespoon butter
â—¦ Chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, for serving


Recipe

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, oil, flour, and salt and whisk to combine. Allow the mixture to rest for 30 minutes (this will make for a smoother dough).

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Working in batches, ladle a little of the dough into the spätzle maker, "grate" it into the water and cook for a few minutes or until the noodles rise to the top. Remove the spätzle from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Toss the spätzle with the butter and serve immediately with any dish or stew that has a good amount of gravy. Alternatively, melt the butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add the spätzle, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges start to brown and go crispy. Serve sprinkled with the parsley.

Serves 4