Käsespätzle

Fresh egg pasta, irregular and tender, bound by a mass of melted cheese that stretches with every forkful. Onions browned in butter provide a dark, crispy crunch and a sweet note that cuts through the salty cheese.

• Prep time: 25 min
• Cook time: 20 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 1071
• Protein: 50 g
• Carbs: 101 g
• Fat: 50 g

Ingredients

• 500 g Wheat flour ( sifted )
• 5 piece Egg ( whole )
• 100 ml Whole milk
• 3 piece Yellow onion ( finely sliced )
• 50 g Minimum butter sweet
• 150 g Comté cheese ( grated )
• 150 g Emmental cheese ( grated )
• 1 pinch Nutmeg
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt
• 1 pinch Black pepper ground
• 100 g Bergkäse (mountain cheese) ( grated )

Instructions

1. Preparing the dough

   In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, eggs, milk, salt, and nutmeg. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough forms air bubbles and pulls away from the sides. It should be elastic and thick.

2. Cooking the onions

   Melt the butter in a pan. Add the onions and let them brown slowly until they are deep brown and crispy. Watch carefully: they should not burn but remain tender inside.

3. Cooking the Spätzle

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Pass the dough through a Spätzle press or spread it on a board to cut into thin strips directly into the water. As soon as they rise to the surface, they are cooked.

4. Assembly and melting

   Drain the pasta and place it in a warm dish, alternating layers of Spätzle and the mixture of grated cheeses (comté, emmental, and bergkäse). The cheese should melt instantly. Top with the fried onions.

Chef's tips

• The dough is ready when it makes a slapping sound against the bowl.
• Never rinse Spätzle with cold water; they must stay hot to melt the cheese.
• Use a mix of cheeses: one for the stretch (Emmental) and one for the flavor (Comté or Bergkäse).

Storage

Keeps for 2 days in the fridge. Reheat in a pan with a knob of butter to restore the crispiness.