For me as a Swabian (south of Germany) there is (almost) nothing more delicious than Swabian Spaetzle. They go with simply everything and are the perfect side dish!
And they are not that hard to prepare as well and the ideal comfort food.
But, what are Swabian Spätzle?
Swabian Spätzle is a type of German Pasta. It consists of flour, salt, eggs, nutmeg and some sparkling water. I personally add a bit of semolina to the dough, which makes them have a bit of a bite, which I like. Basically it’s the German way of having al dente Pasta 😉
Of course there are many tools to make them yourself and I usually use a special spaetzle press, where I simply press the dough into hot salted water.
It’s quick and easy. And to save space in my kitchen cabinets, I also use the press for my potatoes when I make homemade mashed potatoes. 2 in one, almost.
And if you are looking for a classical *Spätzle Presse, I can highly recommend the ones from Kull. They are super easy to handle and can also go in the dishwasher 😉
*“As Amazon Associate I will earn money if you buy the item via my link”
I don’t have a spaetzle press, what can I use instead?
And if you have neither, a spaetzle press nor a potato ricer/masher which you could use instead, you could also use your colander.
You simply press the dough with a dough scraper or spatula into the boiling salted water through the holes of the colander. Simple as that.
Of course, there is also the option to scrape the Swabian Spaetzle by hand, using a wooden chopping board and a knife. Which a lot of people still do.
Or you could use a potato ricer, which you normally use for your mashed potatoes. It has the exact same function as a spätzle press, which I use.
What do you eat with Swabian Spaetzle?
They are ideal as an accompaniment to meat like roastbeef, game,or schnitzel. Or if you want something truly Swabian, then try the Swabian Spätzle with some sour lentils or in a Gaisburger Marsch stew. Or simply with lots of cheese as the German version of Mac and cheese, Kässpaetzle! Or just on its own with a creamy sauce. YUM!
You can use Swabian Spaetzle as a replacement most of the time when you would use rice, potatoes or Pasta as an accompaniment.
There are basically no limits to your imagination 🙂
And of course, many friends ask me for my tips for Swabian Spaetzle, well, get ready as here they come:
My tips for Swabian spaetzle:
- You don’t necessarily need Spaetzle flour. A normal wheat flour type 405 is also absolutely fine. So that you have a bite in the Spaetzle, add 1 – 2 tablespoons of semolina to the flour. Then you also have that bite in them.
- I also like to make them with spelt flour – that works perfectly too
- Butter Spaetzle: Simply rinse the Swabian pasta with cold water after cooking, and then sauté briefly in butter (lard). And you already have the delicious buttery taste.
- cold water: if you don’t use them straight away, it’s best to rinse them with cold water so that they don’t continue to cook and become soft.
What else is important? The beating of the dough!
Work/beat the dough with a wooden spoon until it gets bubbles. It needs to be viscous. Then let it rest for a moment, and you’re good to go!
Now you are armed with my tips for perfect Spaetzle, so nothing can go wrong!
Enjoy the true Swabian meal experience!
love, sabrina x
Swabian Spaetzle
Ingredients
- 400 g flour
- 4 eggs
- 2 Tbsp Semolina
- 1 tsp salt and some extra
- fresh pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- splash sparkling water
Instructions
- Add the eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the salt and stir to combine.
- Let it rest for 15 minutes- your Spätzle will be brighter in yellow later
- Add the flour, semolina, and ground nutmeg, attach a dough hook to the stand mixer and “knead” the dough for 5 minutes until the flour is “worked in the dough”
- Add a dash of sparkling water and beat for a little longer
- Use a wooden spoon to scoop and pull the dough. If bubbles appear, the dough is ready.
- The dough needs to be quite thick and traditionally, it was cut in the water via a wooden cutting bard and a knife.
- Let the dough rest, and in the meantime continue with your recipe.
- Bring a big pot with salted water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
- Using a Spätzle maker – I use a “Spätzle Schwob”- press the noodles into the simmering water and cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until the noodles float to the top.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the noodles to a sieve. Repeat the process until all the dough is used.
The nutritional values are automatically calculated – I use them as a rough guide myself when I want to keep track.
what is the difference between swabian spaetzle and pasta?
Hi Katharina!
Thank you for your question!
The main difference is the dough. Swabian Spätzle are made from a thick and viscous dough and the Italian Pasta dough is thicker and gets rolled and cut before cooking.
love, sabrina x