Classic German Spaetzle
These tender, egg-rich German egg noodles are soft, pillowy, and perfectly coated in warm melted butter.
Ingredients
- •2.5 cups all-purpose flour (300g)
- •1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- •1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- •4 large eggs, room temperature
- •1/2 cup cold sparkling water or whole milk (120ml)
- •3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- •2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- •Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sea salt, and ground nutmeg.
- 2
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, crack in the eggs, and pour in the sparkling water or milk.
- 3
Beat the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon for 5 to 8 minutes, until the batter is smooth, elastic, and forms visible air bubbles.
- 4
Cover the bowl and let the batter rest at room temperature for 15 minutes while bringing a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
- 5
Working in batches, press the batter into the boiling water using a spaetzle maker, a coarse grater, or by scraping thin strips off a wet cutting board.
- 6
Boil the spaetzle for 2 to 3 minutes until all pieces float to the surface, then remove them with a slotted spoon to drain.
- 7
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the drained spaetzle, and toss for 2 to 3 minutes until warmed through and lightly golden.
- 8
Garnish with freshly ground black pepper and chopped parsley, then serve hot.
💡 Chef tips
- To make this pareve for a meat meal, substitute the milk with sparkling water and toss the cooked noodles in olive oil or kosher plant-based butter instead of dairy butter.
- Using cold sparkling water creates a lighter, airier noodle texture thanks to the carbonation.
- Spaetzle can be cooked a day ahead; rinse in cold water, toss with a little oil, refrigerate, and skillet-fry in butter right before serving.
✅ How it should turn out
The finished spaetzle should be golden, tender yet pleasantly chewy, smelling faintly of rich butter and nutmeg, with slightly crisp edges from the pan.