One of the main reasons I first started writing my curry blog was that I wanted to get my kids in the kitchen and cooking. If you can cook well, you also get to eat well and that, for me is one of the great enjoyments of life.
It worked for my two younger kids. My eldest daughter Katy loves the food but isn’t all that keen on cooking it. Oh well, at least she knows a good meal.
I first learned to cook spaetzle while studying in Germany back in 1986. Spätzle in one form or another was on almost every restaurant menu and I couldn’t get enough of the stuff. As I was on a quite low student budget, it made sense to learn how to make it myself. My German friends were happy to show me how to make this delicious pasta dish.
Now my son and younger daughter make it too which is quite handy. I simply call them up and ask them to whip up a batch for dinner.
Spätzle goes well with so many different meals and it is also awesome served on it’s own with butter and garlic or in its more popular form as Käse Spätzle – a German pasta and cheese dish.
Next time you’re thinking about cooking up some pasta, why not try this one? Fresh homemade Spätzle may be German but it tastes fantastic topped with Italian sauces too.
The batter should be thick so that it doesn’t pour through the holes of your press without pushing it through.
Pressing the batter into the boiling water.
All ready.
- 2 cups ( 250 g 9 oz ) Plain all purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup (125ml) milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Bring a large pot of mildly salted water to a boil.
- Meanwhile make you batter.
- Mix the flour, eggs, milk, nutmeg (if using) and a pinch of salt and pepper in a large bowl until you have a smooth, thick paste.
- If you are using a spätzle press, spoon a little of you batter in. If it is falling through the holes on its own, your batter is too thin. Add a little flour if this happens.
- If you are not using a spätzle press, you could use a colander or something similar and then press the batter through the wholes.
- Working in batches, press the batter through the holes of your swätzle press or colander.
- The spätzle pieces will hit the boiling water and then float to the top. Remove the floating spätzle from the water and keep warm in a bowl.
- When all the spätzle is made, stir in the butter and check for seasoning.
- Serve hot, on it's own or with your preferred stew or sauce.
