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Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck

3 January, 2016 by Tara 16 Comments

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A recipe for Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck from Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol in Northern Italy for #SundaySupper’s National Sunday Supper Month.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck in a steel pan resting on a wooden board.

Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck

Sunday Supper is kicking off the New Year by 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.

Aerial view of green Spätzli in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet next to a steel strainer.

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 my

  • Bryndzové Halušky (Slovak Potato Dumplings with Sheep Cheese) 
  • Kasnocken (Austrian Dumplings with Cheese and Onions)
  • Kräuterspätzle (German Herb Pasta)

Aerial view of Spätzli with Sage and Speck in a pan resting on a wooden board next to a green towel.

Check out what everyone else made:

Appetizers and Soups

  • Borscht from Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
  • Cheesy Garlic Crescent Rolls from Wallflour Girl
  • Creamy Zucchini Soup from Lydia’s Flexitarian Kitchen
  • Garlic Chili Tiger Prawns from Food Lust People Love
  • Lion’s Head Meatball Soup from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
  • Potato and Carrot Leek Soup from Peanut Butter and Peppers
  • Steve’s Crab Dip from Monica’s Table

Main courses

  • Grandma’s Fried Chicken from The Freshman Cook
  • Huevos Rancheros from Palatable Pastime
  • Indian Spiced Roast Salmon from Soni’s Food
  • Italian Style Swiss Chard and Beans with Orecchietti Pasta from Delaware Girl Eats
  • Korean Spicy Braised Mackerel from kimchi MOM
  • Larb Gai (Spicy Thai Chicken Salad) from Rhubarb and Honey
  • Mediterranean Flatbread from Magnolia Days
  • Mustard-Crusted Pork Roast from Sew You Think You Can Cook
  • Red Wine-Mushroom Braised Beef from The Crumby Kitchen
  • Sausage & Pasta in a Quick Tomato Sauce from The Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine
  • Savory Ham, Cheese and Sage Waffles from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
  • Shrimp and Asparagus Crepes from A Day in the Life on the Farm
  • Simple, Healthy, Light and Lemony Fettuccine from MidLife Road Trip
  • Simple Roast Chicken from Get the Good Stuff
  • Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck from Tara’s Multicultural Table
  • Turkey Cutlets with Sausage Stuffing from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
  • Ultimate Mac and Cheese from Our Good Life

Side dishes

  • Gramma Buckholt’s Yeast Rolls from The Weekend Gourmet
  • Lager and Rye Bread from What Smells So Good?
  • Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower from Nosh My Way
  • Sweet Potato Crescent Rolls from Wholistic Woman
  • Winter Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Desserts

  • Caramel Apple Rice Krispies Treats from Pies and Plots
  • Chocolate Cupcakes with Kahlua Buttercream Frosting from Flour On My Face
  • Death by Chocolate from Desserts Required
  • Gluten Free Tropical Banana Pineapple Coconut Muffins from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck on two stacked white plates with more in the pan in the background next to a wooden spoon, a green towel, and sage/nutmeg.

Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck Recipe

Adapted from Pasta by Hand

Print Pin
5 from 4 votes

Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck Recipe

A recipe for Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck from Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol in Northern Italy. Small spinach dumplings are tossed with melted butter, sage, and thin ribbons of 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 large eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour

Sauce:

  • 6 tablespoons (85 grams) 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 the spinach 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.
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Filed Under: European, Meat, Pasta and Rice, Pork Tagged With: dumpling, Italian, Italy, meat, pork, sage, spätzli, speck, spinach

Previous Post: « Happy 2016!
Next Post: Croissant Breakfast Sandwich »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. mommasmeals

    3 January, 2016 at 3:13 pm

    Wow this is a fabulous dish I bet the flavor is out of this world! Happy Sunday!

    Reply
  2. Tara

    4 January, 2016 at 9:32 am

    Thanks! It definitely was.

    Reply
  3. Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere

    4 January, 2016 at 9:40 am

    After making spatzel using the board scraping method for years, we finally bought a spatzel press, and I can’t wait to use it. I think this will be our inaugural batch!

    Reply
  4. Wendy @ Wholistic Woman

    4 January, 2016 at 10:48 am

    I never would have thought to make spinach or beer spatzli! Very festive!

    Reply
  5. Liz Berg

    4 January, 2016 at 5:23 pm

    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
  6. Serena | Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch

    4 January, 2016 at 11:18 pm

    What pretty color! What a lovely dish!

    Reply
  7. Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm

    5 January, 2016 at 8:47 pm

    Wow, very impressive.

    Reply
  8. lk529

    5 January, 2016 at 9:52 pm

    So fun! I’d love to see the beet version, too.

    Reply
  9. betsycohen

    7 January, 2016 at 3:38 pm

    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

    10 January, 2016 at 11:36 am

    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
  11. Lynne @ MyGourmetConnection

    10 January, 2016 at 5:19 pm

    How beautiful! The buttery sauce with the speck and fresh sage must have been wonderful on your homemade spätzli.

    Reply
  12. Cate

    10 October, 2020 at 12:57 pm

    This looks like such a unique and tasty dish! Can’t wait to try it! 🙂

    Reply
  13. Christian Guzman

    10 October, 2020 at 4:28 pm

    5 stars
    That looks so fun! I’ve never heard of this before and I can’t wait to try it out! I love spinach and I’m sure I will love this too.

    Reply
  14. Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness

    10 October, 2020 at 5:14 pm

    5 stars
    Okay, I love the look of this. And I love that it uses minimal ingredients! Pinned for later, thank you so much for the recipe 🙂

    Reply
  15. Adrianne

    10 October, 2020 at 6:17 pm

    5 stars
    I really enjoyed reading this post as I haven’t heard of this before so it was new and different for me. The addition of the speck sounds delicious, yum! Can’t wait to try this new recipe.

    Reply
  16. Patty at Spoonabilities

    10 October, 2020 at 8:25 pm

    5 stars
    Wow oh just wow! These little dumplings have clearly fallen from heaven! They are heavenly and so incredibly yummy!

    Reply

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