Bacon & Onion Spätzle
Simple and delicious bacon and onion spätzle is an iconic German meal.
Tender and chewy homemade egg noodles combined with sautéed bacon and onion to create a savoury and delicious iconic German dish.
Spätzle are easy to make as by their nature the noodles are supposed to be irregular; however, it is still helpful to have a spätzle maker though not imperative. The tool to make spätzle can be as simple as a colander and spatula. The batter is then pressed through the holes into the boiling water. The noodles will naturally drop in unequal lengths.
Spätzle can be made gluten-free by swapping the all-purpose flour with a combination of Cassava flour and tapioca flour (1.5 cups + 0.5 cups respectively) and a teaspoon of baking powder.
Ingredients
(Makes 4 servings)
8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small sweet onion, chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 large eggs
2/3 cup milk
fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Directions
In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the bacon and fry until crispy. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and transfer to a paper-lined plate to drain.
Remove the pan from the heat and carefully remove the excess bacon fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the sauté pan. Reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped onion. Sauté the onion until soft and translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, and pepper, mix, then create a well in the centre. Into the well add the eggs and 1/4 cup of milk. With a fork, slowly begin mixing the eggs and milk, pulling more and more flour into the egg mixture. Add more milk, a bit at a time, as the mixture becomes dry with the addition of flour. Once the mixture reaches the consistency of a thick pancake batter, it is ready. Set aside and let the batter rest.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, fill 2/3 with salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and let come to a simmer. Set a bowl of cold water next to the stove. Place the spätzle maker over the pot. Working a batch at a time, pass some of the batter through the holes of the spätzle maker into the simmering water. Let boil until the spätzle rises to the surface of the water. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the spätzle into the cold water and make the next batch. Continue until all the batter is used.
Drain the spätzle and set aside. Replace the sauté pan with the sautéed onion over medium heat and reheat. Add the spätzle once the pan is hot and sauté together with the onion. Add the bacon and mix well. Serve once the spätzle is heated through. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley (optional).
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
total calories = 322 | total fat = 19.17g | saturated fat = 5.44g | cholesterol = 210mg | sodium = 992.18mg | net carbohydrates = 26.04g | dietary fibre = 1.07g | sugars = 3.76g | protein = 16.37g
