Rye Spaetzle Gratin

By Melissa Clark

Rye Spaetzle Gratin
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
1½ hours
Rating
5(163)
Comments
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Unless you have an Eastern European heritage or a penchant for replicating the hearty cuisine of German beer halls, it may never have occurred to you to make spaetzle at home. I have both, and the small, squiggly egg dumplings are one of the first carb-heavy, comfort-food dishes I crave when the weather turns cold.

Making spaetzle is simpler than you may think. Mixing the ingredients is as easy as making pancake batter and uses pantry staples.

The only potentially tricky part is turning the batter into fluffy little dumplings. There are several approaches to this. Some people like to make a thick dough and grate it through the holes of a cheese grater. But if you keep the spaetzle mix as runny as cake batter, you’ll be able to push it through a spaetzle maker (or colander) into a pot of boiling water fairly quickly.

Featured in: Spaetzle at Home: Crank Up the Fluegelhorn and Fill the Steins

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings
  • 1medium savoy cabbage (1½ pound)
  • ¾teaspoon whole caraway seeds
  • 6tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3large leeks, thinly sliced (3 cups)
  • 2garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • Large pinch chile flakes
  • 1thyme branch
  • 2teaspoons apple cider vinegar, or more to taste
  • 1¾teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
  • 180grams all-purpose flour (1½ cups)
  • 100grams rye flour (¾ cup)
  • 2large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 to 1½cups whole milk, as needed
  • 8ounces Gruyère or Emmentaler cheese, grated (2 cups)
  • Ground black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

406 calories; 22 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 18 grams protein; 599 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Discard the outer leaves of cabbage; quarter, core and slice the rest. Using a mortar and pestle or the flat of a knife, lightly crush the caraway seeds. Melt the butter in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly colored, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the caraway, garlic, chile and thyme; cook 1 minute. Add the cabbage and cook, tossing frequently, until very tender and wilted, 7 to 10 minutes. Season with vinegar and ¾ teaspoon salt or more to taste. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

  2. Step 2

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours and 1 teaspoon salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1 cup milk. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. The consistency should be that of a sticky cake batter. As the batter sits, it will absorb more liquid; add more milk as needed to keep it loose.

  3. Step 3

    Working in batches, press the spaetzle through a spaetzle maker or a colander into the boiling water. (If using a colander, either hold it with oven mitts so you don’t burn yourself over the steaming water, or get a friend to help). As the spaetzle rise to the surface, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and transfer to the skillet with the cabbage. Once all of the spaetzle has been added, toss the mixture well.

  4. Step 4

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Scrape the mixture into a 1½-quart gratin dish. Scatter cheese over the top. Bake until golden and bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Grind a generous amount of black pepper all over the top of the gratin, then serve.

Ratings

5 out of 5
163 user ratings
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Comments

Andrea Götz

This dish looks absolutely amazing even though in Southern Germany we would never - and I mean never - use milk to make Spätzle. We always use water. The batter gets better just like Melissa did by using a wooden spoon and beating it until it shows bubbles. We never let it sit, Spätzle are best when made right after the bubbles show up. So I always have a big pot with boiling water ready so I can put them through my Spätzlemaker when the batter is bubbling.

Kathy

This was delicious. The leeks and cabbage melt into the dish and the fresh pasta also makes it creamy with relatively low fat. I made it as written except I let my spaetzle cook a bit after they rise to the top as they keep expanding and getting bigger. Then I scoop them out. Using the cheap and handy spaetzle maker for half the batter at a time, it just takes minutes to cook them. I will make this again. It is an upscale relative of mac and cheese!

Melissa Clark

Yes that will work well.

Avery

This was yummy and actually really easy to make. I'd add more of all the seasonings - double the vinegar, more chili flakes and a little more caraway. Don't be shy with the salt!

Margie

This is delicious. I leave out the green cabbage, however, and serve quick pickled red cabbage on the side.

Eliz.

If you happen to find Alsatian spaetzle (Valfleuri is one brand) at Home Goods/TJ Maxx, this recipe offers a great way to prepare it. I recommend letting the cabbage cook even longer and increasing the herbs just a bit. Half of the cheese is fine for half a pound of noodles, three leeks and 1.25 lbs. cabbage. Delicious

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