Bensonhurst Kitchen: Herb Gruyere Spaetzle

Spaetzle, translated from German means “little sparrow”. Before the invention of pasta makers, these egg noodles were usually made by hand or with a spoon – with the results apparently resembling the shape of something that just flew into a mirror.

While there are devices available these days to spit out oodles of noodles, Colleen managed to make due with a cookie press. A Ziplock bag with a hole in the corner is also supposed to work. Fortunately, this is one of those situations where there really isn’t a “right way”.

Inspired by a dish we recently tried in a restaurant, Colleen added some Swiss Gruyere cheese and herbs to the mix.

Spaetzle is traditionally more of a side dish, usually served with meat but don’t let that stop you from using it as an entrée as you would any pasta product.

Enjoy!

Colleen’s Herb Gruyère Spaetzle

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups milk
4 large egg yolks
1 large egg
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
3 tablespoons fresh chives finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh sage finely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl combine milk, egg yolks and egg.

In a large bowl combine flour, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until combined.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare a bowl of ice
water.

Using a colander with larger holes, add 1/2 cup of the batter to the
colander and press it into the simmering water with a spatula or the back
of a spoon.
Repeat until all of the batter has been used.

Boil the spaetzle until it rises to the top. Using a slotted spoon skim the
cooked spaetzle out of the pot and place it in the bowl of ice water for
about 5 minutes.

Drain the spaetzle from the ice water and toss it with 1 tablespoon of
olive oil.

Combine shredded Gruyere cheese and chopped herbs.  Gently mix cheese and
herb mixture with spaetzle and place in 9 X 13 baking dish.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and spaetzle is
warmed through.

TIPS:

Is your colander not up to the task of spaetzle?  A potato ricer set on
medium or a ziploc bag with several holes poked in it with a skewer will
also work great!

Cooked spaetzle can be made the night before you need it…for something
different try sauting cooked spaetzle in a pan with butter and mushrooms.