Spätzle with cream and speck

Spätzle with cream and speck are a delicious dish inspired by Tyrolean cuisine. Here’s the recipe to prepare them:

Ingredients

• 250 g of flour
• 2 eggs
• 50 ml of water
• Salt to taste
• 200 g of speck, diced
• 200 ml of cooking cream
• A pinch of nutmeg
• Chopped parsley (optional)
• Butter to taste for sautéing the Spätzle
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation

1. In a bowl, mix the flour, eggs, water, and a pinch of salt until a homogeneous dough forms. The dough should be thick enough to fall slowly off a spoon.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Use a Spätzle slicer (a tool for making Spätzle), a grater with large holes, or a cutting board and a knife to form the Spätzle by dropping them into the boiling water.
3. When the Spätzle float to the surface, they are ready. Drain them with a slotted spoon and set them aside.
4. In a frying pan, fry the speck until crisp.
5. Add the cream to the pan with the speck and cook until the cream slightly reduces, then add a pinch of nutmeg.
6. Add the drained Spätzle to the pan with the speck and cream and sauté them in the seasoning to flavor them. At this point, if you like, you can also add some butter to enrich the taste.
7. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and, if desired, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese before serving.

Curiosity

Spätzle are a type of fresh pasta typical of the Alpine regions, particularly loved in South Tyrol, Austria, and Southern Germany. Their name literally means “little sparrows,” probably due to their small irregular shape. This pasta is extremely versatile and lends itself to various preparations, but the combination with cream and speck is one of the most appreciated for its rich and comforting flavor.