Parslied German Spaetzle In Brown Butter Sauce

Just in time for Octoberfest celebrations, Parslied German Spaetzle in Brown Butter Sauce is a delicious side dish that pairs well with roasted or grilled meats.

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My favorite way to serve the spaetzles is with Cabernet Braised Beef Short Ribs, Sauteed Haricot Verts, Sweet And Sour Braised Red Cabbage, and Old Fashioned Lemon Bars for dessert.  This is an old-fashioned, homey meal that is satisfying and perfect for cooler Autumn evenings.

What Is Spaetzle?

A spaetzle is a small, irregularly shaped egg noodle that’s a cross between a dumpling and a noodle. They’re quick to cook, chewy yet tender, very filling, and make a great alternative to rice, potatoes, or pasta. They can also be made in advance, which makes preparing weekday meals much easier!

A traditional German side dish, Spaetzle is commonly served alongside roasted meats, goulashes, or schnitzel- any dish that has a sauce or gravy. There are many ways to cook spaetzle, but we will make a brown butter sauce in this recipe. 

‘Spaetzle’ is roughly translated in German as ‘little sparrow’.  It’s also thought that the word ‘spatzle’ means ‘clump’ in German as well. The dish is known as spätzli in Switzerland and nokedli in Hungary.

Spaetzle comes from Swabia, a historical European region of southwestern Germany that includes the present-day regions of southern Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Bavaria, eastern Switzerland, and Alsace, France.

Spaetzle is a dish that families have their own recipe for and is passed down from generation to generation.

Ingredients Needed

• All-purpose flour
• Kosher salt, white pepper for the spaetzle, and black pepper for the brown butter sauce – if you don’t have white pepper, you can use all black pepper, but the spaetzle will have little black specks of pepper throughout.
• Nutmeg and dried parsley
• Eggs
• Milk – I like using whole milk, but any type will work.
• Butter – only butter. Don’t try to use margarine. The butter provides the flavor for the sauce.
• Fresh chives and parsley

Tips And Tricks For Making Perfect Spaetzle

1. The batter should be the consistency of a thick pancake batter. Too thick and the dumpling will be tough and chewy. Too thin and it won’t hold its shape.
2. Spray your colander or spaetzle maker with cooking spray so the batter won’t stick in the holes.
3. Cook the dough in batches – one layer of spaetzle in a very large pot to prevent clumping.
4. Toss the cooked and drained spaetzle in a tiny amount of oil to prevent them from sticking together.

Can I Reheat Or Freeze Spaetzle?

Spaetzle reheats very well. My favorite way to reheat them is to melt some butter in a skillet and saute the spaetzle until hot. You can also submerge the cooked spaetzle into boiling water just until hot all the way through.

You can also freeze the cooked spaetzle in a freezer bag for 2 – 3 months. Simple thaw the spaetzle before sauteing it in butter until warm. This makes Spaetzle so good for family meal prep. If you make a large batch of this, you can simply pull it out whenever someone is hungry and needs a quick snack. 

Variations And Serving Suggestions

• Saute bacon until crispy. Remove the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon, reserving the fat in the pan. Toss in chopped onions and cook until caramelized. Add the spaetzle and, pan-fry with the onions. Sprinkle the crispy bacon bits on top before serving.
• Use the spaetzle instead of noodles in chicken noodle soup or stroganoff.  They can also be used in place of elbow macaroni for mac and cheese.
• Serve them with roasted vegetables and mushroom gravy for a vegetarian meal.
• You could even replace your pasta with spaetzle and cover them in vodka sauce, Italian sausage, and Parmesan cheese.

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