Often called the German Macaroni and Cheese, spätzle are handmade noodles that are boiled and then baked with cheese to make käse (cheese) spätzle. The dish is usually topped with fried or caramelized onions.
I switched up the ingredients for this version and used whole wheat flour and walnuts. More flavor, more crunch. This is my idea of German comfort food.
I have a spätzle maker I brought back from Germany, but you can use a sharp knife or a colander with large holes to make the noodle shapes.
The dough comes together very quickly but be aware, it should rest at room temperature for one hour. After the dish was eaten, I realized while editing these pictures, I had completely forgotten to sprinkle the chives over the top.
Go ahead. Laugh.
Whole Wheat Käsespätzle with Walnuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons seltzer
- 3/4 cup shredded Emmenthaler cheese
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 large onions
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
- 1/4 cup chopped chives
Instructions
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Whisk together the flour, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.
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Add the eggs and seltzer and knead into a dough.
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Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
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Peel the onions and cut them into rings.
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Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion rings and fry until golden brown. Remove the fried onions from the heat, cover to keep warm, and set aside.
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
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Use a spätzle press or colander with large holes to push the dough through into the water.
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When the späztle pops up to the top they are done, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pot and transfer to a colander or sieve to drain.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
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Place the drained spätzle into a casserole dish. Toss with the walnuts and the cheese.
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Place the dish in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
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Remove the spätzle from the oven. top with the fried onions. Scatter the chives on top and serve.
Like this Whole Wheat Käsespätzle with Walnuts? Check out some of these other recipes:
Buttery Hazelnut Spätzle
Pumpkin Jarlsberg Spätzle
Baked Pears with Blue Cheese and Walnuts
