Spaetzle

This soft, German noodle is as delicious to eat as it is simple to make.  If you have a potato ricer you are well equipped but if not a colander will do the job, although ideally, you could do with a second one to store the spaetzle after they are cooked.

Spaetzle 

  

You can treat the noodles in the same way as any other fresh pasta, but the simplest thing to do is to grate some cheese and stir it into them whilst they are still hot.   For the dish shown, I diced an onion and some mushrooms, then fried them in some flora until the onion was quite brown and then stirred them and some grated cheese into the noodles.
You could simply chop up some garlic, fry it off gently in butter and stir that into the noodles, or you could chop some cooked bacon and stir that in ... the possibilities are endless and really do depend on what you like - experiment - have fun.

• 250g plain flour
• 3 eggs
• ¾ teaspoon of salt
• 80mls cold water

• A pan full of boiling water

1. In a large bowl combine the flour, eggs and salt using a fork.  Add the water a little at a time, but be aware that the mixture gets harder to stir.  
2. Let the mixture stand for about 15 - 20 mins, during which time it will firm up.
3. Bring the water in the pan to a rolling boil (this means boiling with lots of bubbles)
4. Put a spoonful of the mixture into your potato ricer, or force it through the holes in your colander, letting it land in the boiling water.  
5. If the noodles land in a heap in the pan, just give them a gentle shake with the tip of a knife to separate them.  When they float to the top of the water, they are cooked, so just scoop them out with a straining spoon and either put into a colander, or if you are using your only colander, into a dish lined with kitchen roll.  I used the lid of the pan containing the water to cover the noodles in the colander to keep them warm whilst cooking the rest, but as it only takes seconds for them to cook, it isn't completely necessary.
6. Repeat the cooking process until all your dough is used.

When all the noodles are ready combine with whatever flavourings you are using and serve.  It can be served as a side dish to accompany your main course, or you could serve it as a meal on its own.