Yesterday was Swiss National Day (8/1), so we decided to make a Spätzlipfanne (specifically, Ziegenkäse Spätzlipfanne)…but we also wanted to make a unique and colorful Spätzli as the canvas for our entree. In the past, we’ve made these noodles plain, with red beets, and even with sweet potatoes…so this time, we figured we’d try spinach!
We wound up with a vibrantly green version that had a subtle earthy taste to it! This would be great served with a saucy Schnitzel (we suggest Chicken, Pork, or Mushroom) or Geschnetzeltes (try our Duck or Pork varieties!)
Time: 30 Minutes
Ingredients (makes 2-3 entree servings):
- 2-3 Handfuls of Spinach
- 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 Cup Milk
- 2 Eggs
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- You will also need a colander with medium sized holes and a spatula for this particular recipe. IF you don’t have those, that’s okay…you can always take the dough on a cutting board, and “cut and flip” pieces into the water. But, the colander/spatula method is the way to go if you can.
Method:
- Start bringing a large pot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt.
- Wilt your spinach in a pan with a little water.
- Scoop your spinach into a blender/food processor/Ninja with your milk, and puree.
- In a large bowl, combine your flour, salt, and pepper. Crack in your eggs, and pour your pureed spinach in.
- Stir to fully combine. Your mixture should be goopy. You don’t want it too liquidy, as it won’t form your dumplings properly…but it shouldn’t be too dry, or you’ll never get it into your boiling water. Unfortunately, it’s an inexact science.
- When your water’s boiling, scoop your dough into your colander.
- Use a silicone spatula to spread/push your dough through the holes of your colander into the boiling water.
- Boil for 4-5 minutes to cook.
- When your Spätzli floats and becomes firm, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the water. We like to use a frying spider strainer since we can scoop more out at a time.
- Use in your favourite Spätzli recipe, or serve as a side!
- Devour, and enjoy!
Hard to argue with success 🙂 …
Here, one would make the Spätzle with flour, salt, more eggs (8 per kg of flour), and a healthy sip (2-4 fl.oz) of carbonated bottled water. This is considered important because it “lightens” the dough. To incorporate the spinach one would either run it through a meat grinder or first give it a good chop and then finish it with an immersion blender. Milk wouldn’t be used. If any fluid is necessary at all, it would be another sip of water. But you could use a pinch of nutmeg for the spinach.
I remember you mentioning carbonated water once in the past. I still need to try that…only had black cherry seltzer on hand, so that would n’t have been a winner in this case. I love the nutmeg idea!