Enjoy a hearty plate of gooey Austrian goodness at home, with our recipe for Käsespätzle.
You can’t go too far wrong with pasta and cheese but my very hungry travellers have become mac and cheese aficionados, rating plates of the steaming comfort food wherever we roam. Happily, my own rich and decadent version has remained top of the cheesy charts. But after our adventures in Vienna, there’s a new contender for the crown, “Viennese Mac and Cheese”, better known to the locals as Käsespätzle.
The dish is said to have originated in Swabia, a region in southwestern Germany and brought to Austria by Swabian immigrants in the 18th century, it’s still a popular staple in Austria, and just as popular with my Österreich obsessed offspring.
So, what is Käsespätzle exactly? In simple terms, it’s a wickedly warm and gooey masterpiece made with spätzle (a soft egg noodle) and melted cheese topped with a handful of fried onions.
The Spätzle dough is made from a mixture of eggs, flour, and water that is then passed through a Spätzle maker, a kitchen contraption that resembles a cheese grater with giant holes that allow the dough to drop straight into boiling water, where the noodles cook until they float to the surface. The finished noodles are fried in butter and topped with wads and wads of grated Emmenthal and gruyere cheese, then topped with fried onions which add a sweet and tangy flavour to the dish.
Typically served in a cast-iron skillet or a baking dish, straight from the oven, you can find Käsespätzle on the menu of many traditional Austrian restaurants, and while we sampled it at every opportunity, we found the rustic and cosy Pürstner restaurant, located just a few blocks from the Mozarthaus, the best spot for a comforting plate of cheesy goodness.
In a city where we enjoyed many tasty meals, Käsespätzle proved a favourite and a Spätzle maker followed us home. As the weather has started cooling the kids, who are die hard mac and cheese fans, have begun asking for the Austrian alternative. And as a cheese lover, I’ve been happy to indulge their tastebuds. If you feel like a hearty plate of Austrian goodness at home, here’s our recipe.
Ingredients
- 250g plain flour
- 5 eggs + 1 egg yolk
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp water (if needed)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 100g grated Emmental
- 100g grated Gruyere
- 1 onion, sliced into rings
- 2 tbsp butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, eggs and salt until smooth. The dough should not be runny but soft enough to pass through a Spätzle maker easily. If it is too thick add a little water, a tbsp at a time. Once combined set aside and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Use a Spätzle maker or colander with small holes to press the dough through into the boiling water. Cook the Spätzle until they float to the surface minutes until the twisted shapes float to the surface (about two minutes), then drain.
- Transfer the Spätzle to a colander to drain.
- In a large frypan, sauté the chopped onion in butter over medium heat until they become soft and golden brown (avoid scorching as they will become bitter).
- Add the cooked Spätzle to a pan with two tablespoons of butter and stir until the noodles are coated with butter.
- Add the grated cheese, a handful at a time, and mix well.
- Serve hot with onions and chopped parsley.
An award-winning travel writer and photographer, Aleney de Winter was fresh from school when she first set off to explore the far reaches of Australia with a two-man tent and a beaten-up Kingswood for company. Three decades, and two kids later, and she's still on the go, with her itchy-footed offspring in tow. 
SpiceyChef Stratford
September 5, 2023 at 8:10 pm (3 years ago)Thank you for sharing this delicious Austrian Käsespätzle recipe! It sounds like the perfect comfort food, and I can’t wait to try making it at home.