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Oma's German Spaetzle Recipe – Easy Homemade Noodles

This easy German Spaetzle recipe is the perfect side dish for many German meals. Try serving it with pork chops and red cabbage for utter deliciousness. Fry in a bit of butter, season with your favorite herbs and garnish with parsley for an extra special side dish.

Servings:

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• about ½ - 1 cup water
• parsley to garnish

Instructions:

1. Mix flour and salt in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.
2. Add eggs and mix well.
3. Gradually add just enough water to make a smooth, light, and firm Spaetzle dough. The amount will depend on how 'dry' your flour is.
4. Let the Spaetzle batter stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
5. Push batter through a Spätzle maker, directly into the boiling water. 
6. Spaetzle noodles will float to the top of the pot when they are done (will take a few minutes). Remove with slotted spoon to a colander to drain excess water.
7. These are often served with lightly sautéed diced bacon or crispy fried onions. Or, fry in a bit of butter, season with your favorite herbs and garnish with parsley for an extra special side dish.

Notes/Hints:

• Although not the traditional method, you can make the Spätzle batter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
• You can subtitute ½ - 1 cup milk for the water.
• If you don't have a Spaetzle maker, you can use another kitchen tool such as a potato ricer or food mill, or simply use a spatula or wooden spoon to push the Spätzle dough through the large holes of a colander or cheese grater. Or, you can make these small dumplings the traditional way by scraping the dough off a wooden board with a long knife… just like Oma used to do!
• If you are making your Spaetzle ahead of time, stir in a little butter to keep them from sticking together and store in an airtight container. They'll keep in the fridge for a few days. They also freeze really well.
• To reheat, melt some butter in a large skillet and add the cooked Spätzle (or frozen Spaetzle) to heat through. This will crisp them up a little and add a buttery flavor. Yum!! Season with your favorite herbs and garnish with parsley.
• Another fabulous way to serve these is to turn them into Cheese Spätzle.

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04.21.2023 revision update