Spooky Spaetzle
For a recent Halloween themed dinner I decided to make spaetzle in different colors inspired by the holiday. I made three flavors- purple sweet potato, beet and green pea. They came out very pretty and my guests loved them. Not sure how spooky they were, though. I also served them with squid ink pasta, but that was store bought, not homemade. It made for a fun presentation. I would certainly make any of them again.
For those who aren’t familiar, spaetzle are like little dumplings or a type of pasta, depending on who you ask. The dough is a thick batter that is added to boiling water using a spaetzle maker. People will also use large slotted spoons to help the batter enter the boiling water in small pieces. They puff a bit when cooked, but deflate slightly after. They have a slightly chewy texture, but still tender, if that makes sense. My grandmother would put the dough on a cutting board and use a knife to cut little pieces off ad slide them into the water. She did it so quickly. I use a spaetzle maker – picture is at the bottom of this post. I was recently given a great hint. A perforated pizza pan- they are used to make a crisper crust- can be used as well. The pan has holes all over it. You place it over the pan of boiling water, dump the spaetzle dough onto the pan and use a spatula to press it through the holes into the boiling water. Great idea.
They were served with an array of colorful sauces, too. Those recipes will be coming soon. Because the pasta was pretty pastel in the end, I could see serving these for a Spring dinner, too. So here are the recipes, along with the recipe for my regular spaetzle.
Beet Spaetzle
1½ c. shredded cooked beets
1 egg
½ t. salt
1½ c. flour
Puree the beets. Combine egg, beets, salt and flour in a bowl and stir until batter is smooth. Batter with be thick. If it seems too thick you can add a little water or milk. Start pot of water boiling while batter rests. If using a spaetlze maker, place maker over the pot of boiling water. Place batter in the maker and slide back and forth, replacing batter as it runs out. If you don’t have a spaetzle maker, drop batter by small spoonfuls into the boiling water. Cook until they float, 3-5 minutes. Drain well before serving. To serve you can serve with a sauce or toss with butter or brown in a skillet with butter. These are also good topped with shredded cheese, but then, isn’t everything good that way?
Purple Sweet Potato Spaetzle
1 c. cooked mashed purple sweet potatoes
1 egg
½ t. salt
1½ c. flour
About ¼ c. milk or half and half
Combine potatoes with the egg, salt and flour. Stir until smooth. If batter is too thick add milk until batter is thick, but pourable. Start pot of water boiling while batter rests. If using a spaetlze maker, place maker over the pot of boiling water. Place batter in the maker and slide back and forth, replacing batter as it runs out. If you don’t have a spaetzle maker, drop batter by small spoonfuls into the boiling water. Cook until they float, 3-5 minutes. Drain well before serving. To serve you can serve with a sauce or toss with butter or brown in a skillet with butter.
Green Pea Spaetzle
1½ c. frozen peas, thawed
1 egg
½ t. salt
1½ c. flour
Puree peas until smooth. Combine with the remaining ingredients. Stir until smooth. You can add a little milk or water if the batter is too thick. Start pot of water boiling while batter rests. If using a spaetlze maker, place maker over the pot of boiling water. Place batter in the maker and slide back and forth, replacing batter as it runs out. If you don’t have a spaetzle maker, drop batter by small spoonfuls into the boiling water. Cook until they float, 3-5 minutes. Drain well before serving. To serve you can serve with a sauce or toss with butter or brown in a skillet with butter.
Spaetzle
3 eggs
1/2 c. half and half or evaporated milk
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. flour
Combine all ingredients and let rest 30 minutes. Drop by small spoonfuls into boiling water. Cook until they float and puff up, about 5 minutes. Serve with soups, stews sauces. You can toss them with a little butter. I sometimes heat butter in a pan and brown them up a little. You can also add some fresh, chopped herbs to the batter.
