Wolf's Den

Steph from Stephfood was our Daring Cooks' July hostess. Steph challenged us to make homemade noodles without the help of a motorized pasta machine. She provided us with recipes for Spätzle and Fresh Egg Pasta as well as a few delicious sauces to pair our noodles with!






I've made homemade noodles before, but I will admit, these were the best noodles I've made by far.}:P

I've also eaten German Spaetzle before, but I've never actually made it. Growing up, I remember dinners at my Grandparents' house, where Grandpa would make 'push pan noodles'- basically noodle dough pushed through a pan with 1/4" or so so holes in it, into boiling water and topped with spaghetti sauce. It's been years since I've had that dish, but I remember it well.





First up is the egg noodles. Really easy recipe with very few ingredients. A few eggs, all purpose flour and maybe a few drops of water if needed. I also use Semolina flour in mine.



First, if using semolina and flour, sift them together into a pile. Otherwise, just sift your flour into a pile. Then carefully make a well in the center of it, making sure you have relatively high sides.



Crack your eggs into the well you made in the flour mix. With a fork, very carefully start to gently whisk the flour mixture from the edges into the eggs.



Keep whisking until the dough is too stiff to use the fork in anymore. Then, clean the fork off and get in there with your fingers. Make sure you mix in all the flour mixture throughly. Now is also a good time to flavor your noodle dough with herbs or vegetables if you'd like. Or you can layer in fresh herbs as you roll it out.



Knead the dough until its smooth. Get your fingers wet if you find the dough is too dry, to add a little water at a time. Then, either place in a plastic bag or wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for a minimum of 30 minutes, maximum of 2 hours. I did 1.5 hours, and that was just perfect for my dough. I think the resting is the key to great homemade noodles, as before, I've never let it reast and they certainly weren't this good. After the resting period, take your dough ball and flatten it slightly. Cut it into 6 more or less equal pieces, placing 5 back in the plastic to keep from drying out. The 6th piece, roll into a ball and flatten it.



Roll the flattened dough out into a relatively long oval shape. Take both sides and fold them in to the center, forming a rough rectangle. Then, roll the rectangle out thin and long.

Of course, if you have a pasta roller machine, you can skip all that and just use that. Me, I don't and I prefer to do my noodles by hand if possible.}:P Although, I do plan to get one of these soon. As in, next week



See? Nice and thin. Lightly flour your dough and carefully fold/roll it up. This makes it easier to cut straight noodles rather than leaving it flat and trying to cut a straight line. I did rough 1/2" wide noodles that ended up just about 1 foot long. I didn't actually measure, mind.



Since I was going to cook my noodles almost immediately, I tossed them in some flour to keep them from sticking together and put them in a glass dish while I rolled out and cut the remaining 5 pieces of dough. Then, small handfuls at a time, they went into liberally salted boiling water for about 5-6 minutes. Drained throughly and then plated up. One batch made enough for 5 people to have generous portions.

Otherwise, you can drape them over say, a broom handle, or chopsticks or skewers to air dry or freeze them.



The egg noodles were topped with 'doctored' store bought spaghetti sauce- doctored with dried oregano, basil, tarragon, diced onion, chopped grilled hamburger left over from the night before and a single Black Russian Heirloom tomato from my garden. It was a lovely, filling dish.




Next up is the German Spaetzle/Spatzle.



Again, really easy, with a few simple ingredients. I added a pinch of sea salt and some black pepper to mine as well.



In a bowl, crack your eggs, add the milk and seasonings. Then whisk it all together and start to slowly add the flour. I also added a bit of semolina to mine as well. Whick in the flour throughly before adding more.



Keep adding flour and whisking it in until the dough is stiff and hard to stir. It should resemble very thick pancake batter.



Now, here you can either do the cutting board/knife trick, or the drop by teaspoon trick, or use a slotted spoon like I did. Over a pot of salted, boiling water, gently push the dough through the slotted spoon and into the water. The spaetzle with drop to the bottom and just as quickly rise back to the top again.



Continue until all dough is used. Then gently stir the spaetzle in the water and boil for 4-5 minutes. Drain thoroughly, shaking a few times as with the rough texture, water will pool on the noodles. This was the light sauce I used for this dish. It was made last fall with home grown heirloom tomatoes, homegrown herbs, garlic, onions. Lightly spicy and delicious, just enough to coat the spaetzle without weighing it down.



Into the pan with sauce goes the spaetzle and it's gently stirred to coat throughly.



This dish was paired with 5 spice seasoned grill pork chops and grilled asparagus and was very filling. The smell and taste of the spaetzle reminded me of those dinners at my Grandparents' house with the push pan noodles. This is a definitely make again on regular rotation dish!


THE RECIPES!

Preparation time:
Spätzle – this is a very quick and easy recipe, about 30 minutes total

preparation of dough – 5 – 10 minutes
dropping into boiling water – 5 – 10 minutes
cooking time – about 10 - 15 minutes (for the denser style – thinner variations will take less time to cook)
sauce preparation – about 5 minutes, and can be done while the Spätzle cooks
Egg Fettuccine – this takes about 2.5 – 3 hours total, in the following stages:

initial dough creation – about 10 minutes
dough resting – minimum 15 minutes to a maximum of 2 hours (I let it rest for 30 minutes and prepared the sauce during this time)
rolling and cutting of noodles – about 1.5 to 2 hours
boiling the noodle – about 5 minutes


Equipment required:
- 1 pair of clean hands, ready to work!
- 1 sheet of plastic wrap (for covering Egg Fettuccine dough)
- Large mixing bowl
- A clean, dry surface to lay or hang the cut Fettuccine during preparation
- A fine metal sifter (for sifting flour)
- Measuring cups
- Mixing spoon, preferably wooden
- Large pot (for cooking pasta)
- Two tablespoons (for shaping and dropping Spätzle)
- Manual pasta rollers (for rolling and cutting Egg Fettuccine) OR a rolling pin and a very sharp knife

German Spätzle
Ingredients:

2 large eggs
½ cup (120 ml) milk (any style of milk you what, but I believe buttermilk may be traditional. I've always used 1 or 2%.)
1½ cups (360 ml) (210 gm) (7½ oz) all-purpose (plain) flour (approximately – have more on hand, in case)
up to 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of herbs and spices (optional – I added some cayenne and herbes de provence)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (3 gm) fresh parsley, chopped (optional – I added this for color mostly)

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and any herbs and spices that you want to incorporate into the spätzle.
Incorporate the flour in small batches, by sifting in a small amount at a time and mixing until the flour is completely integrated. Keep adding flour until the dough becomes elastic, smooth and very hard to stir.

Boil a large pot of water. Dip a table spoon into the boiling water to wet it. To form the spätzle, fill the tablespoon about half way with dough, and release into the boiling water.

Boil for 15 to 20 minutes.
Drain the water from the spätzle. Because it's full of fun craters where water can hide, you will need to drain it especially well. Toss with the chopped parsley.
Plate, and dab a bit of the sauce on each spätzle. Don't add too much – it's really more of a light dressing than a sauce.


Butter and Breadcrumb Sauce (for Spätzle):
Ingredients:

½ cup (120 ml) (30 gm) (1 oz) fresh breadcrumbs OR ½ cup (120 gm) (60 gm) (2 oz) dry breadcrumbs (either variety can be used)
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Melt the butter… this can be done in the microwave, or on the stove.
Mix in the breadcrumbs. If needed, gently heat further (especially if you store breadcrumbs in the fridge or freezer).
Season to your taste
Handmade Egg Fettuccine:
4 – 6 servings

The following photos show the use of pasta rollers, however, the recipe will include steps for people using a rolling pin and knife instead of rollers. For a visual reference, please see this video of a pasta making demonstration with a rolling pin. His recipe is slightly different, but you can see the shape and thickness the dough should be, and how to cut the noodles. http://www.5min.com/Video/Hand-Made-Pasta-Recipe-179300529

Ingredients:

2 cups (480 ml) (280 gm) (10 oz) all-purpose (plain) flour
3 large eggs, beaten
water, as needed

Directions:

Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl.
Push the flour out of the very center of the bowl, to make a 'well'. Pour the beaten egg into the 'well'.
Slowly incorporate the flour into the egg by mixing a small amount of flour into the "well" at a time and mixing until incorporated. Start by mixing in flour around the perimeter of the egg, and gradually widening the mixing to include more and more flour. Mix until all of the egg is mixed into the flour.
At this stage, use your hands to try to form a rough ball. If the dough is too dry, add a few drops of water and incorporate. Be careful to not add too much liquid – it's better to slowly add water as needed, as opposed to trying to add more flour to a sticky dough. My trick is to wet my fingers, instead of pouring water directly into the dough. This ensures a minimal amount of water is added, and is more evenly distributed.
Knead the dough for a few minutes, until it is smooth.
Roll the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to rest. It should be allowed to rest for at least 15 minutes, at most 2 hours. Take this time to set up your pasta roller, and/or to prepare the sauce.
Divide dough into 6 equal pieces. Take one piece to start, and put the remaining back into the plastic wrap so that they don't dry out.
Form the piece of dough into a ball, and then flatten using the palm of your hand.
If using pasta rollers: Run this through the pasta roller at its widest setting
If using a rolling pin: Use a rolling pin to create a thin elongated oval.
Place the dough horizontally on your work surface, and fold the long ends into the center, so that they meet. Press down on the edges to seal them. At this stage, you should have a rectangular shape.
If using pasta rollers: Run the dough through the pasta roller, open-side first, again at the widest setting
If using a rolling pin: Roll into a long, thin rectangle. Carefully flip the thin dough over, and dust with flour on both sides. Skip to step #15.
Repeat steps 9 and 10
Now run the dough through the roller two more times, again on the widest setting, without folding first. This will help to make the dough very smooth and elastic, for stretching.
Now stretch the dough by running through the rollers, each time switching to a narrower setting. After the final setting, you should be able to see the outline of your hand through the dough.
If using pasta rollers: Run the stretched dough through the fettuccine-sized cutters. Gently lay or hang your freshly cut pasta, and cover with a clean cloth so that it doesn't dry out while you roll and cut the rest of your dough.
OR, If using a rolling pin: Carefully roll the dough up (like rolling up a yoga mat). Choose how wide your noodle will be, and using a very sharp knife, cut through the rolled up dough. Unroll the noodles as you go, to prevent sticking.
Repeat steps 8-15 for the remaining dough.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, gently drop in the freshly cut pasta, and cook for about 5 minutes. Drain and toss with sauce and enjoy immediately!


Aglio, Olio, Peperoncino e Basilico:
This recipe is sort of a cross between alio e olio (garlic and olive oil) and pesto. This doesn't have the fine processing of basil that pesto does, allowing the oil to do most of the work of coating the pasta.

Should coat about 4 servings of pasta. Very easy to double, if needed.


Ingredients:

1 clove of garlic
¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (¾ gm) coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
1 small bunch of basil
¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (½ gm) chili flakes
¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 cup (240 ml) (150 gm) (5⅓ oz) quartered cherry tomatoes
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions:

Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic with ¼ teaspoon of sea salt into a fine paste.
Add a few basil leaves to the mortar and pestle at a time, and mash until softened (but not pureed). Do this until all of the basil is added.
Add the chili flakes.
If your mortar is not large enough, transfer the mixture to a bowl. Slowly mix in the olive oil. Add the salt to taste.
Set the mixture aside for at least a half and hour to allow the flavors to mingle.
When ready, gently toss with warm/hot pasta, adding more olive oil if needed.
Add in the cherry tomatoes, and mix well.
Add freshly ground pepper, to taste.
Serve topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a few more chili flakes.

Freezing/Storage Instructions/Tips:

The fresh fettuccine can be frozen before cooking. You may wish to lightly coat the pasta with a little bit of flour to prevent sticking. Gently tuck the pasta into a freezer safe bag and freeze flat. After cooking, the pasta may be refrigerated for up to two days.
The spätzle can be refrigerated after cooking, and will also keep for a couple of days in a properly sealed container.


Additional Information:

About Spätzle
http://www.germanfoodguide.com/spatzle.cfm
A different recipe for Spätzle, showing the board scraping method
http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/05/how-to-make-spatzle-spaetzle-pasta.html
How to Make Spaetzle (video)
http://youtu.be/pW1TJWei6Uo
Hand Made Pasta Recipe (video – Totally by hand, not even rollers!)
http://www.5min.com/Video/Hand-Made-Pasta-Recipe-179300529