5 Ingredient Spaetzle Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is spaetzle made from? ›

Spätzle is a German egg noodle pasta with a chewy, dumpling-like texture. The short noodles are usually irregularly shaped and made from a simple batter of eggs mixed with flour (all-purpose or semolina) and milk or water.

My make-ahead Spaetzle noodles can be formed and boiled up to 3 days ahead. Try my Spaetzle-making trick using a colander if you don't have (or want to invest in) special equipment to make this classic German side dish recipe.

Spaetzle is basically a blank, buttery canvas that will absorb whatever flavorings you care to mix into it. I've served the dumplings plain with melted butter and chopped chives. I've crisped them in a pan of brown butter and almonds. I've topped them with hearty beef stew.

The consistency of the batter should be pourable but not super runny (it should drop off a spatula or spoon in thick ribbons). Bring a pot of lightly salted water or broth (about 2 to 3 quarts total) to a boil. Press the batter through a spaetzle maker in batches (see notes for alternate methods).

The flour traditionally used for spätzle is bread wheat (not the durum wheat used for Italian pasta); however, a more coarsely milled type is used for spätzle making than for baking. This flour type is known as Dunst, similar to US "first clear" or Czech hrubá type.

You can make spätzle with only rye flour, but they will look better if you add some wheat or spelled flour. Rye flour should be very health-promoting. Whole-wheat flour does not have a type designation, because this is where the whole grain is ground.

Knoepfle is the Swiss version of Spaetzle, an drop noodle made of an egg noodle dough. It's our family tradition and they are the best holiday side dish recipe. It's kind of a labor of love but it's worth every second! I know, it's a weird word: Knoepfle.

Flat cheese grater: In my opinion, the easiest tool is one you may already have at home: a flat stainless steel cheese grater with large holes (about 1/4 inch). If you place the cheese grater grating side down over a pot of water, it resembles a spätzle maker without the dough box.

You often see it with veal or pork, but chicken is also popular and it's my preference for summer. The meat is pounded thin and breaded in a mix of breadcrumbs or panko and quickly fried. Schnitzel is popular in Germany, Austria, and Italy as well as other areas of Europe.

As the spaetzle gradually rise to the surface of the boiling water, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a serving dish. Serve immediately, while still warm.

Does spaetzle taste like pasta? ›

Taste: Spatzle taste similar to my beloved egg noodles, with the chewiness of a dumpling.

If you plan on making German spaetzle often, you might want to invest in a spaetzle maker to help with the process. But if you have never made spaetzle before and don't have one, you can absolutely make this recipe just using a colander or steamer with large holes on the bottom.

Excess water makes a batter, while too little water renders a dough rough, dry and unpliable. Generally speaking, a flour to water ratio of 2:1 achieves a dough of reasonable consistency. So if you have 500g of flour, use about 250 mL of water.

While the ingredients to make the two are quite similar, the processes aren't so much. To make pasta, you form a firm dough that is kneaded, rested, rolled and shaped however you like. On the other hand, spaetzle is a sort of sticky, wet batter that doesn't hold it's shape like a ball of pasta dough would.

Think of this as Germany's answer to macaroni and cheese, a dish of spaetzle – short, thin noodles similar to pasta, though made with a thinner dough – layered with local cheeses, topped with fried onions and then baked until gooey and crispy and unctuous.

Spaetzle are traditional German dumplings. You can also mince a few pieces of bacon in a pan, heat the cooked spaetzle in the bacon drippings and omit the butter.