Name: Allgäuer Kässpatzen
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Germany
Ingredients: 400 g plain flour; 5 eggs; 100 ml water or milk; 1 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; 250 g Bergkäse or Emmental cheese, grated; 3 large onions, thinly sliced; 3 tbsp butter; 2 tbsp neutral oil

Kässpatzen comes from the Allgäu, the Alpine corner of Bavaria known for its mountain cheese, and the dish is built on the same logic as any good baked pasta: soft egg noodles, plenty of melted cheese, and a crunchy topping.

The crunchy topping here is fried onions, cooked low and slow until deeply golden, and they need to go on at the very last moment. Add them too early and the rising steam from the cheese softens them before anyone gets a bite.

Part of our 20 best German recipes list.

method

Mix the flour, eggs, water or milk, salt and nutmeg into a thick, smooth, sticky batter, closer to a wet dough than a pourable batter. Beat it hard for a few minutes until it develops a few bubbles and some elasticity.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working over the pot, scrape thin strips of the batter directly into the boiling water using a Spätzle press, a Spätzle board and scraper, or a knife and a wet cutting board.

Cook the Spätzle in batches for 2 to 3 minutes, until they float. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain.

In a large ovenproof pan or dish, layer the cooked Spätzle with the grated cheese, finishing with a layer of cheese on top. Cover and keep warm over low heat, or in a low oven, until the cheese melts through.

While the cheese melts, heat the butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook slowly, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes, until deeply golden and crisp at the edges.

Scatter the fried onions generously over the top of the Kässpatzen just before serving, so they stay crisp.

chef's tips

The batter should be thick enough that it barely drips off a spoon. Too thin and the Spätzle turn into shapeless strings instead of soft little dumplings.
A real mountain cheese, something like Bergkäse or a good Emmental, melts differently than a generic cheddar and is worth seeking out for the authentic result.
Fry the onions low and slow. Rushed onions on high heat burn at the edges before they turn properly sweet and crisp.
Add the fried onions right at the end, not while the cheese is still melting, or they lose their crunch in the steam.