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Buttered Spaetzle

By Bryan Roof

Published on December 18, 2019

Time

50 minutes

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Buttered Spaetzle

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour ¾ teaspoon table salt, plus salt for cooking spaetzle½ teaspoon pepper ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¾ cup whole milk 3 large eggs 1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum pan 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Before You Begin

The 13 by 9-inch disposable aluminum pan serves as a makeshift sieve for portioning the batter.

Instructions

  1. Whisk flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg together in large bowl. Whisk milk and eggs together in second bowl. Slowly whisk milk mixture into flour mixture until smooth. Cover and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
  2. While batter rests, use scissors to poke about forty ¼-inch holes in bottom of disposable pan. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and set prepared disposable pan on top of Dutch oven. Transfer half of batter to disposable pan. Use spatula to scrape batter across holes, letting batter fall into water. Boil until spaetzle float, about 1 minute. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer spaetzle to colander set in large bowl to drain. Repeat with remaining batter.
  4. Discard any accumulated water in bowl beneath colander. Pour spaetzle into now-empty bowl. Add melted butter and toss to combine. Serve.
Buttered Spaetzle
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Chantal Lambeth.

Buttered Spaetzle

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Time

50 minutes

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon table salt, plus salt for cooking spaetzle
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ cup whole milk
3 large eggs
1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum pan
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon table salt, plus salt for cooking spaetzle
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ cup whole milk
3 large eggs
1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum pan
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon table salt, plus salt for cooking spaetzle
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ cup whole milk
3 large eggs
1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum pan
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Why This Recipe Works

A homey cross between egg noodles and dumplings, spaetzle is a slightly chewy, light, and buttery noodle dish traditionally served with chicken paprikash and other stews. Letting the batter rest before making the noodles was a necessary step; it allowed the gluten to relax and resulted in more tender spaetzle. The holes in both a potato ricer and a colander were too big to act as a makeshift spaetzle press. Instead, we poked holes in a disposable aluminum pan and set the pan directly over the boiling water.

Before You Begin

The 13 by 9-inch disposable aluminum pan serves as a makeshift sieve for portioning the batter.

Instructions

  1. Whisk flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg together in large bowl. Whisk milk and eggs together in second bowl. Slowly whisk milk mixture into flour mixture until smooth. Cover and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
  2. While batter rests, use scissors to poke about forty ¼-inch holes in bottom of disposable pan. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and set prepared disposable pan on top of Dutch oven. Transfer half of batter to disposable pan. Use spatula to scrape batter across holes, letting batter fall into water. Boil until spaetzle float, about 1 minute. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer spaetzle to colander set in large bowl to drain. Repeat with remaining batter.
  4. Discard any accumulated water in bowl beneath colander. Pour spaetzle into now-empty bowl. Add melted butter and toss to combine. Serve.

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