Spaetzle

I was on a business trip to Germany. My client’s company was in the village of Korntal and I was staying in a nearby gasthaus. At dinner the proprietor served this strange looking noodle-dumpling dish that was delicious.  I ask him to tell me what was and I made him repeat it until I got it. Thus began my love affair with spaetzle.

Do you love the taste of fresh homemade pasta but it’s too much work to make today? Do you love pasta but want to try something a little different?  Spaetzle (Spätzle) is for you. It’s quick and easy.  Essentially, it is a pasta dough with an extra egg and a little milk mixed it.  I also like to add a little nutmeg.

2 cups flour
4 eggs
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons butter

Lightly beat the eggs in a medium bowl.  Add the flour, milk, salt, and nutmeg.  thoroughly mix the ingredients.  You will end up with a sticky dough.

Put a large saucepan of water on the stove and bring it to a boil.  You can buy spaetzle-making devices but I use a colander with large holes.  Place the colander over the boiling water.  Put a large spoonful of the dough in the colander and use a spatula to squeegee the dough through the colander’s holes into the boiling water.After about 2 minutes scoop the spaetzle out of the water with a slotted spoon into a serving bowl.

When you’ve made all the spaetzle, add the butter to it and stir until the butter is melted.

Serves 4-6