Learn How to Make Spaetzle
Recipe & Variations on the Popular German Dinner Specialty
A common menu item in German-speaking countries, Spaetzle (pronounced "shpaytz-luh") comes in different varieties, most commonly cheese Spaetzle, or Kaesespaetzle ("kay-zuh shpaytz-luh"). Learn how to make this special German dish, and learn which additional ingredients work well with the original recipe.
What is Spaetzle?
Spaetzle is a dish most common in southern Germany, particularly the region known as the Schwaebische Alb (Swabia) in the state of Baden-Wuerttemburg. It's also quite popular in Bavaria, Austria, Switzerland, and other parts of Germany. It is more or less homemade pasta, and is usually intended as an entree or as a dinner side dish.
The Basic Spaetzle Recipe
Ingredients:
- flour
- eggs
- water or milk
- seasonings (optional)
- vegetables (optional)
Directions:
- Combine ingredients in a bowl until dough has an elastic consistency (when a spoonful is lifted out of the bowl, it should stretch from the bowl to the spoon). If the mixture is too watery, it will not stick once it's placed in boiling water.
- Use either a Spaetzle maker or take tiny spoonfuls of the dough and put into boiling water. An inexpensive Spaetzle maker looks similar to a cheese grater and is available in cooking stores and often in department stores with a wide selection of cookware.
- Sautee vegetables in a pan before adding the boiled Spaetzle noodles to the mixture, and brown with butter. Marinara sauce also makes for a fantastic addition at this point.
- Pour Spaetzle and all other ingredients into a glass baking pan.
- After placing Spaetzle and vegetables in the baking pan, spread the cheeses of choice over the top.
- Place in the oven on a lower temperature setting (no more than 250 degrees Fahrenheit) until slightly brown.
Flavoring & Additional Components
One of the most common spice ingredients to add to the dough (before boiling, of course) is nutmeg.
Other Optional Seasonings:
- allspice
- parsley
- anisette
- basil
For fantastic flavor, mix both nutmeg and anisette into the dough.
Vegetables to Mix with Spaetzle
Vegetables can be added to this dish; most common are:
- onions
- mushrooms
- peppers
Butternut squash, zucchini, or broccoli taste great with Spaetzle, too.
Cheeses to Use for Kaesespaetzle
Despite this being a German dish, Italian cheeses work extremely well. Mozzarella and/or parmesan are particularly delicious over Spaetzle.
Variation on the Spaetzle Recipe
An Austrian version of the basic mixture is Nockerl, which is made with the same basic ingredients as Spaetzle. The two main types of Nockerl are cheese Nockerl or egg Nockerl. The biggest difference is that instead of small pieces, Nockerl is made with spoonfuls and more closely resemble dumplings than noodles.
Directions:
- After boiling, either melt cheese over the Nockerl or stir in egg (including beaten yolk) in a pan and sautée it.
- Cool and serve.
Spaetzle is a fairly easy dish to make, and the best part is the lack of rules: Being able to combine different ingredients to create your ideal mixture. It's possible to stick with the traditional or to come up with a new combination of ingredients, and either way, it will be delicious.
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