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Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck #SundaySupper

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A recipe for Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck for #SundaySupper!

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Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck in a pan

Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck

Sunday Supper is kicking off the New Year with designating January as National Sunday Supper Month! For the event, I am sharing a recipe for Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck from the cookbook, Pasta by Hand. Spätzli comes from Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol in northern Italy and has been influenced by the Spätzle of their neighbors in Germany and Austria. As a longtime fan of Spätzle, I can’t believe it has taken me so long to discover/make this spinach variation (there is also a deep pink spätzli that incorporates beets).

Fresh spinach is quickly blanched, then processed with eggs and flour to make a smooth dough. It is pressed through a spätzle maker to make small dumplings. I just love the bright green color. The cooked dumplings are tossed with melted butter, sage, and thin ribbons of speck before serving.

Spätzli in a single layer on a pan

For me, 2 pounds of fresh spinach was 4 smallish bunches. To squeeze the excess moisture out of the spinach, I often use a potato ricer. You can also place the spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wring the water out.

I used this Spätzle Maker to make the spätzli. A large-holed colander and wooden spoon to push the dough through will work too. If the dough is too thick to be pushed through the press, thin it with 1 teaspoon of water at a time.

I have also seen recipes that serve the spätzli with a cream sauce. Evan enjoys them simply with a basic tomato sauce.

Speck (Südtiroler Speck) is a dry-cured, lightly smoked ham that originated in Alto Adige and is now under Protected Geographical Indication status. It is often used in northern Italian, German, and Austrian cuisine. The exterior is darker in appearance due to the smoking process and spice blend with juniper. You can find it in some larger grocery stores (locally I have found it in the deli section of Wegmans) that feature imported Italian products or in Italian specialty stores. If you are unable to locate it, substitute with a fatty prosciutto or Black Forest bacon (I have seen this at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s), though the flavor won’t be exactly the same.

Looking for more pasta dumpling recipes? Try Bryndzové Halušky (Slovak Potato Dumplings with Sheep Cheese), Burrata Gnocchi, and Kräuterspätzle (German Herb Pasta).

Spätzli with Sage and Speck in a pan

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Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck on a plate

Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck Recipe

Adapted from Pasta by Hand

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Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck Recipe

A recipe for Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword dumpling, Italian, Italy, pork, sage, spätzle, spätzli, speck, spinach
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

Spätzli:

  • 2 pounds (910 grams) fresh spinach stems removed
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 cups (280 grams) all purpose flour

Sauce:

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 10 fresh sage leaves
  • 8 thin slices speck cut into narrow ribbons
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to taste

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place a large bowl of ice water next to the pot.
  • Once the water is boiling, add the spinach. Cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Use tongs to immediately remove the spinach from the boiling water and into the bowl of ice water. Once cool enough to handle, drain and squeeze well of excess moisture. Transfer to a food processor. Add the eggs, nutmeg, and salt, then process until finely chopped. Pour in the flour and continue to process until thickened and smooth. Transfer the batter to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
  • Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Fill the large pot with salted water again and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
  • Place some of the dough into a spätzle press or colander with large holes and press into the simmering water. Remove using a strainer and transfer to the prepared baking sheet in as much of a single layer as possible. Repeat with remaining batches of dough. Allow to cool while you prepare the sauce.
  • In a large pan, heat the butter and sage over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the speck, tossing to coat. Heat through and remove from heat. Toss in the cooked spätzli and season with salt and pepper.
  • Serve immediately topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  5. Liz Berg

    What a fun version of spaetzle! I actually have a plain version that I’m sharing this week—and I’ve also made Dorie Greenspan’s herbed spaetzle. Your vibrant spinach spatzli looks wonderful!

    Reply

  9. betsycohen

    This looks great and it is a very interesting recipe. I have never made spätzli or cooked with speck but they are both on my ‘must try’ list now!

    Reply

  10. lydiaf1963

    Wow fabulous color! I’m going to have to try to make it at least once. Who knows, I may have to invest in a spaetzle maker 🙂

    Reply

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