Spaetzle

What is spaetzle? Noodles made easy. You make a very thick batter, close to a dough but as easy to produce as pancake batter—no kneading—and force it through a coarse colander, one with holes of about ¼ inch in diameter (or a spaetzle screen; you can buy these at most kitchen supply houses or specialty stores), into boiling water. The batter forms short, irregularly shaped noodles in just minutes. These can be dressed any way you like, with melted butter or a sauce.

Like pasta dough, the batter itself can be seasoned. So we go from plain spaetzle with butter to pepper spaetzle topped with crispy shallots to spaetzle made with chestnut flour, chickpea flour or pureed squash, all served with different toppings. You’ll soon get the idea, but remember that at their simplest, spaetzle are a great, fresh weeknight side dish.