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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.
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.
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.
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.
In this recipe, we cook it with a delicious brown butter sauce, but you can eat with with many things like classic swedish and german dishes.
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.
For the spaetzle:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 large eggs, beaten
¼ cup whole milk
For the sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and dried parsley. Make a well in the center of the bowl. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Pour into the well in the center of the dry ingredients.
Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the egg/milk mixture by drawing the flour from the sides. The dough will be smooth and thick.
Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt it generously. Use enough salt that the water tastes like the ocean.
To make the spaetzle, hold a colander with medium size holes over the pot.
Spoon the spaetzle dough into the colander and use the back of a spoon to push it through the holes.
Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot. Gently stir the spaetzle so they don’t stick together.
Cook for 4 minutes or until they float to the surface.
Use a slotted spoon or a wire spider to remove the spaetzle to a colander. Rinse with cool water.
Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
Make the sauce.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the chives, parsley, nutmeg, and black pepper.
Add the spaetzle and toss to coat, cooking for 1-2 minutes.
Taste and adjust the seasonings for salt.
Garnish with additional chopped parsley.
Serve hot.