Spinach Spaetzle with Bacon and Sage

This comfort food dish is truly season-less. It’s the easiest fresh pasta recipe EVER. These little German dumplings, or batter noodles, are cooked in minutes. The noodles can be prepared several hours in advance- finishing the dish by sautéing them with bacon and sage just prior to serving.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by David Tanis. I modified the cooking method by using a potato ricer to form the noodles. In addition, I increased the spinach as well as the water in the batter. We ate it as a main dish but it would also be delicious as an indulgent side dish.

Yield: 6 servings

Time: about 1 hour

• 6 ounces baby spinach leaves
• 4 eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• coarse salt
• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 4 ounces bacon or pancetta, cut crosswise into thin slices
• 4 T unsalted butter
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

1. Drop spinach leaves into boiling water to blanch, about 30 seconds, then transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain spinach and squeeze dry.
2. Put cooked spinach in a blender or food processor with the eggs and yolks and blitz briefly to make a green purée.
3. Put spinach purée in a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, the nutmeg and the pepper.
4. Beat in flour and 3/4 cup cold water to make a wet, sticky batter-like dough. Beat for 5 minutes, until lump free. If the mixture seems too stiff, beat in a few more tablespoons cold water. (Because I used a potato ricer, I thinned the batter to a more runny consistency by incorporating an additional 3 T of water.)
5. Leave batter to rest at room temperature, covered, for 15 minutes. Prepare an ice-water bath. Place a colander within the ice-water bath.
6. Bring a large wide pot of well-salted water to a boil.
7. Holding the potato ricer over the boiling water, fill it with 1-2 ladles of batter; close and press the batter into the water. 
8. Let the spaetzle cook for 1 minute or so, until they rise to the surface. Remove with a skimmer and immediately cool in the colander in the ice water. Continue until all batter is used. Drain cooked spaetzle and blot dry. (I placed the spaetzle on a rimmed baking sheet which was lined with several layers of paper-towels.) *Note: The recipe may be prepared up to this point several hours before serving.*
9. Just before serving, set a large wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and let it render without browning much, about 2 minutes. Pour off fat and leave bacon in pan. (To decrease the mess, I wiped out the fat with paper towels.)
10. Add the butter and let it foam, then add sage leaves and let sizzle for 30 seconds.
11. Add the cooked spaetzle and sauté, stirring with a wooden spoon until heated through and lightly browned.
12. Transfer to a warm serving bowl, if desired. Serve immediately with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

One Year Ago:

• Orecchiette with Carrot-Hazelnut Pesto

Two Years Ago:

• Whole Wheat Potato-Spinach Gnocchi with Kale-Walnut Pesto

Three Years Ago:

• Gnocchi with Bacon & Tomatoes
• Swiss Chard Stuffed Shells

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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