Spinach Spätzle, Browned Butter, Sage, Hazelnut & Alpine Cheese

Spätzle has no neat edges. It’s dropped, scraped, shaped by gravity. The dough isn’t rolled or filled, just pressed through holes into boiling water where it firms up in seconds. I like that about it. It resists being made perfect.

This dish belongs to many places: northern Italy, southern Germany, Austria. Recipes change from valley to valley, but the method stays the same: soft batter, hot water, a bit of care. Traditionally, it’s made using a spätzle maker, which looks a bit like