I’ve prided myself on holding off this long on posting pupmkin recipes. However, it is now officially October and all bets are off starting with this Pumpkin Jarlesberg Spätzle.
I did feel I needed to show September’s apples and plums some proper respect. Nevertheless, coming up in the next months, there will be a few pumpkin recipes with a Germanish twist or two. I also solemnly swear there will be no pumpkin spice recipes.
Recently I attended a Jarlsberg cheese pop-up and learned from another blogger that Jarlsberg has no lactose which is good news for people with dairy issues. It was only a short few steps from there to creating this lactose intolerant friendly käsespätzle.
If you do not have a spätzle maker, no problem. Just use a colander with large holes and a wooden spoon or paddle to push the dough through.
I added freshly roasted pumpkin pureé to the spätzle batter. I roast my own pie pumpkins and pureé the flesh. That’s my preference but no judgment if you use the canned variety. I admire your time-saving skills.
This recipe serves four as a side dish and two as a main dish. your choice. I also think this dish works perfectly for both a Thanksgiving side dish or a Fall brunch.
However, this did not create a strong pumpkin flavor. It might be a bit stronger if you use the canned variety. It provided and nice delicate level of flavor to the spätzle which stood up nicely to the mild, buttery, nutty flavor of the Jarlsberg.
Käsespätzle, known to some as German macaroni and cheese is normally topped with fried onions. I used caramelized onions. Just because and you’re welcome.
Pumpkin Jarlsberg Spätzle
Ingredients
- 2 +1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon canola or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup fresh pumpkin puree* (see instructions below to make fresh pumpkin puree)
- 1 sweet onion
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 cup plus a 1/2 cup Jarlsberg cheese, divided
Instructions
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Whisk the all-purpose flour and the salt.
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Whisk the eggs together in a separate small bowl and then stir them into the flour mixture.
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Add the canola oil and pumpkin and use a wooden spoon to mix everything together into a smooth dough.
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Cover the bowl and store in a warm place for 20 minutes.
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Peel the onion and cut into thin rings.
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Heat the two tablespoons of unsalted butter in a skillet or frying pan. Add the onions and sauté.
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Add the sugar and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sauté the onions until browned. Remove from pan and set aside in a warm place.
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Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
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Retrieve the dough from its warm place. Use a spätzle press or colander to squeeze the dough through the holes into the boiling salted water.
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Fill a separate bowl with ice cold water. Immersing the cooked spätzle in cold water helps it retain its light orange color.
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The spätzle will sink to the bottom of the pan. When the spätzle floats up to the top, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the boiling water and transfer the cooked spätzle to the bowl with the cold water.
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When all of the spätzle has been boiled and transferred to the cold water, drain the cooked spätzle into a colander and shake off the excess water.
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a small casserole dish and set aside.
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Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in a separate large skillet. Add the drained spätzle and heat, stirring to coat.
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Add 1 cup of the shredded Jarlsberg cheese to the pan, stir to combine and heat until everything is the same temperature 3-4 minutes. Use a metal spatula to scrape off any cheese that sticks to the bottom of the pan.
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Transfer the spätzle to the prepared greased casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of Jarlsberg cheese over the top.
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Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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Garnish with the caramelized onions and serve.
Recipe Notes
*For the roasted pumpkin purée:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place the whole pumpkin on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and roast for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and carefully slice off the stem and cut the pumpkin into quarters.
- Return the pieces to the oven and roast for another 40 minutes or until you can easily run a fork through the flesh and skin of the pumpkin.
- Remove the pumpkin pieces from the oven and let cool completely.
- Scrape out the stringy flesh and seeds and set aside.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh and transfer to a food processor. Discard or compost the outer skins.
- Purée the pumpkin flesh in the processor until smooth.
