Spaetzle Recipe

These homemade German Spaetzle noodles are made with common ingredients and can be formed and boiled up to 3 days ahead, and no specialized equipment is required.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine German

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Servings servings (1 cup each)

Calories 393kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Equipment

Spaetzle maker (see note 1)

Ingredients

3 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour sifted (see note 2)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (see note 3)
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons butter

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the spaetzle dough:

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat eggs on medium-high until light and frothy.
Reduce speed to medium-low, then add the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time. Add milk, increase speed to medium, and beat until the mixture is well-combined, about 5 to 10 minutes.

To boil the spaetzle:

In a large pot over high heat, bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boil. Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice.
Place a spaetzle maker or a colander with large holes (not mesh) over the boiling water. Add dough, about 1 cup at time, then press the spaetzle scraper or the flat side of a sturdy spoon over the dough to push the noodles through the holes.
Cook until the noodles float to the top, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the spaetzle to the ice cold water (this firms them up). Transfer to a bowl and toss with olive oil to keep them from sticking. Repeat with remaining dough.

To serve the spaetzle:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add cooked spaetzle and toss in skillet until coated. Season to taste with salt and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Spaetzle tools: I tried 3 different tools to see what was easiest for making Spatezle, and my favorite was this lid and scraper set because it was simple to use and easy to clean.
Flour: Sifting flour lightens it up, aerates it, and removes lumps which makes the fluffiest spaetzle ever. To sift flour, over a sheet of parchment paper, foil, or a bowl, add flour (or any dry ingredients) to a fine-mesh strainer and tap the side with one hand. Anything left in the bottom can be pushed through with a spoon.
Nutmeg: If you happen to have the whole nutmeg seeds, freshly-ground nutmeg is warm and nutty, and once heated, lends a lovely clove-like flavor. This is my favorite nutmeg grater, but any microplane grater will do the job.
Yield: This Spaetzle recipe makes about 6 cups of spaeztle, enough for 6 side-dish servings of 1 cup each.
Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition