Authentic German Spaetzle
Delicate, pillowy egg noodles scraped or pressed into boiling water and tossed in rich browned butter, offering a comforting taste of traditional Southern German cuisine.
Ingredients
- •2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
- •1 teaspoon fine salt
- •1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- •4 large eggs, at room temperature
- •1/2 cup whole milk or sparkling mineral water (120ml), plus extra if needed
- •3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- •2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- •Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and freshly grated nutmeg.
- 2
In a separate measuring cup or bowl, beat the eggs together with the milk.
- 3
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the egg mixture, and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon or stand mixer until the dough is smooth and starts to form small air bubbles, about 5 to 8 minutes. Rest the batter for 10 minutes.
- 4
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil over high heat.
- 5
Working in batches, press the batter through a spaetzle press or large-holed colander directly into the boiling water (or scrape thin strips off a wet wooden cutting board).
- 6
Boil the spaetzle for 1 to 2 minutes, until they all float to the surface, then remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander to drain.
- 7
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until it foams and turns slightly nutty and golden brown.
- 8
Add the drained spaetzle to the skillet and toss gently for 2 to 3 minutes until warm, coated, and lightly crisp on the edges.
- 9
Season with additional salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.
💡 Chef tips
- Using sparkling mineral water instead of milk incorporates air bubbles into the dough, yielding noticeably lighter and fluffier spaetzle.
- To make ahead, plunge cooked spaetzle into an ice bath, drain well, and toss with a drop of oil; store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and sauté in butter just before serving.
- If you don't own a spaetzle maker, press the dough through the wide holes of a flat box grater or a potato ricer directly over the boiling pot.
✅ How it should turn out
The finished spaetzle will be tender and slightly chewy, glinting with golden browned butter, lightly seasoned with nutmeg, and delightfully fragrant with fresh parsley.