Käsespätzle

Käsespätzle

Soft, tender spätzle noodles are layered with Emmental and butter until melting and gooey, then crowned with deeply caramelised onions. This is the Alpine answer to mac and cheese.

Prep

30 min

Cook

25 min

Total

55 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) all-purpose flour, or spätzle flour, if available
• •4 whole (4 large) eggs
• •120 ml (½ cup) water, sparkling or still, as needed for batter consistency
• •1 tsp salt, for the batter and cooking water
• •freshly grated nutmeg, ¼
• •300 g (10½ oz) Emmental cheese, grated; substitute Gruyère or Bergkäse
• •60 g (2¼ oz) butter, unsalted, divided
• •2 medium onions, thinly sliced into rings
• •1 pinch sugar, optional, to help caramelise onions

Steps

1. 1 In a large bowl, whisk flour, 1 tsp (5 g) salt, and nutmeg. Make a well, crack in the eggs, and add 60 ml (¼ cup) of the water. Mix to a stiff batter, adding more water a tablespoon at a time until the batter is thick but drops reluctantly from a spoon (like a very thick pancake batter). Let rest 15 minutes.
2. 2 Meanwhile, caramelise the onions: in a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt 30 g (1 oz) butter. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of sugar if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15–20 minutes until deep golden brown and very soft. Remove onions from the skillet and set aside; wipe skillet clean.
3. 3 Bring a large pot of salted water (about 4 litres/4 qt) to a gentle boil. Use a spätzle press, a colander with large holes, or a wet cutting board: press or scrape the batter through the holes into the water, working in batches so the pot is not overcrowded. Boil spätzle until they float, about 2–3 minutes. Fish them out with a slotted spoon into a colander, drizzle with a little cold water to stop cooking, and set aside.
4. 4 In the same skillet used for onions, melt the remaining 30 g (1 oz) butter over medium heat. Add half the cooked spätzle, then sprinkle with half the grated Emmental. Top with the remaining spätzle and the rest of the cheese. Drizzle with 1–2 tablespoons of reserved spätzle cooking water if the mixture seems dry.
5. 5 Cover the skillet and cook over very low heat for 5–7 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and the bottom of the spätzle starts to crisp slightly. Do not stir.
6. 6 To serve, slide the Käsespätzle onto a warm plate or divide among plates. Pile the caramelised onions on top and serve immediately.