This Herb-Speckled Spaetzle is a hearty, herb-infused German pasta that’s delicious as a stand-alone side dish or as a vehicle to soak up marvelous juices from stews and roasts.

Spaetzle viewed from above in a white bowl

Herb-Speckled Spaetzle

I was excited to try this Herb-Speckled Spaetzle for French Fridays with Dorie this week. When we lived in Iowa, my in-laws would frequently visit (under the guise of taking us impoverished folk out to dinner, but the real draw was getting their hands on the grandchildren) and take us to the nearby Amana Colonies.

This quaint, former communal settlement had a number of restaurants where classic German cuisine was served, and my father-in-law was certain to order something with a side of spaetzle. Years later, when we belonged to a dinner club, our first gathering featured a German menu, and my assignment was spaetzle  I made a  simple noodle dough and squeezed it through a spaetzle press into boiling water.

These delicious threads of pasta were sauteed in butter, then used as a side dish for our sauerbraten. It was a snap to make.

Herbed spaetzle with mushrooms in a white serving dish with a spoon

Dorie’s Spaetzle

Dorie’s recipe adds herbs and a bit of nutmeg to the basic recipe of milk, eggs, and flour. She goes further and has us mix them with a melange of sauteed onions and sliced mushrooms.

I kept some of this herb-speckled spaetzle plain for the family and the jazzed-up version for me. I served ours with a  hearty beef stew full of onions, garlic, carrots, rosemary, and thyme, simmered for hours covered with red wine and broth. It was the perfect topping for our spaetzle  Hubby was not disappointed with this veer to the German side by Dorie. Neither was I.

I splurged on this German-made spaetzle press a few years ago. It works beautifully. If you don’t own this gadget, you can easily substitute a colander.

This delicious recipe can be found on Epicurious. And check out my post on How to Make Spaetzel for more tips.