Spätzle Salad

The spätzle salad is a fresh and tasty first course, perfect for the spring or summer season. For an all-Italian touch, we can add typical ingredients of our cuisine such as cherry tomatoes and basil. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 250 g of spätzle
• 150 g of cherry tomatoes
• 100 g of arugula
• 80 g of cheese such as Smoked Scamorza or Buffalo Mozzarella
• 60 g of pine nuts
• 1 handful of fresh basil
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• (Optional) Balsamic vinegar or lemon juice

Preparation

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spätzle according to the package instructions.
2. While the spätzle are cooking, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the scamorza (or mozzarella), and wash the arugula.
3. In a non-stick pan, lightly toast the pine nuts over medium-low heat until they turn golden. Be careful not to burn them, as they can become bitter.
4. Drain the spätzle and rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool them down.
5. In a large bowl, combine the cool spätzle with the cherry tomatoes, arugula, scamorza cheese, toasted pine nuts, and hand-torn basil leaves.
6. Season with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. If you like, you can add a dash of balsamic vinegar or a few drops of lemon juice for a touch of acidity.
7. Mix all the ingredients well until the salad is well dressed and serve.

Curiosity

Spätzle is a type of pasta originating from the southern region of Germany and the alpine regions of Italy, such as South Tyrol. They are irregular little dumplings made with a dough composed of flour, eggs, and water. This recipe presents them in a cold, salad form, perfect for the warmer months or for a light and flavorful meal.