This cheese spaetzle recipe is loaded with sweet caramelized onions, fresh dill, peppery arugula, and tart lemon juice. The cheese sauce is made simply from goat cheese and pasta water and takes no time at all. And although this could totally be vegetarian dish, I like to add some beet sausage for some added protein.
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If you've never had spaetzle before, then now is your time!
Spaetzle is a German pasta that is basically a mix between a short tiny dumpling and a thick piece of linguine.
The Germans serve it many different ways, but my favorite is cheese spaetzle or kase spaetzle as they say!
It's the perfect winter dish that is beyond comforting.
In this recipe, I serve it in the easiest sauce ever that's made simply with pasta water and goat cheese.
For a pop of freshness, I add fresh lemon juice, dill, and arugula.
On top, I add cooked beet sausage but you could serve it with any protein you'd like!
It's one of those dishes that seems heavy but tastes light and refreshing because of all the bright and flavorful ingredients.
Did I mention how easy it is to make? You can make the whole dish in about 35 minutes.
Here's what you'll need!
Ingredients
- Spaetzle plus its salty pasta water
- Sweet or Yellow Onions
- Olive Oil
- Goat Cheese
- Lemon Juice
- Salt
- Dill
- Arugula
- Butter
- Optional - Beet Sausage
How to make Cheese Spaetzle
To make cheese spaetzle, you'll want to start by bringing a large pot of salty water to a boil.
Once the water is boiling, add your spaetzle and cook 2 minutes short of what the directions on the bag say.
Before you drain your pasta, reserve 1 cup of pasta water and set it aside.
Meanwhile, add olive oil, sliced onions, and salt to a sautee pan and cook for 20 minutes over medium heat, stirring often.
They won't be completely caramelized but that's ok -- as long as they get slightly sweet - that is what we're going for!
Next, add crumbled goat cheese and pasta water. Stir until the goat cheese has melted.
Now add in the cooked spaetzle and stir, until everything is coated.
Cook the pasta one minute more in the sauce until it's al dente.
Now stir in lemon juice, dill, arugula and butter. Be sure to taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
If you'd like meat, top with any proteins that you would like!
What meats to add
In this recipe, I used my friend Cara Nicoletti's new Sausage - Seemore Sausage - which is available at Whole Foods.
I paired it with her La Dolce Beet-a Flavor which features humanely raised pork, beets, garlic, and fennel seed. It's super delicious and the color is insanely beautiful!
If you don't have her sausage, you could also pair it with some sliced bratwursts, a cut of fried pork schnitzel, or even grilled steak!
What to pair it with
If you're making this dish for dinner, I'd start with some easy sausage rolls or my kale avocado salad for some added freshness.
As the main, you could definitely make my easy crock pot brown sugar ham and pair it with my crispy smashed brussel sprouts with bacon or my honey roasted carrots with goat cheese and herbs.
For dessert, I'd totally make my favorite flourless chocolate cake or an easy strawberry dump cake.
And if you'd like to save this recipe for later, pin it below!
Recipe for Cheese Spaetzle
Recipe
Goat Cheese Spaetzle with Caramelized Onions, Dill, Arugula and Lemon
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaetzle pasta
- 1 cup pasta water reserved from boiling liquid
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium sweet onions thinly sliced
- 1 cup goat cheese crumbled
- 2 tablespoon salted butter
- the juice from ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoon fresh dill roughly chopped
- 1 cup arugula
- Salt and pepper
- ** Optional - cooked Beet sausage
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil and cook spaetzle two minutes short of what the directions say.
- Before straining, be sure to reserve 1 cup of pasta water and set it aside.
- Meanwhile, add olive oil, thinly sliced onions, and a pinch of salt to a saute pan over medium heat. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring often, until beginning to caramelize.
- Then add goat cheese and 1 cup of reserved pasta water to the pan and stir until the goat cheese has melted.
- Add in the cooked spaetzle and stir - cooking for another minute or two until pasta is al dente and has absorbed some of the sauce.
- Add in the butter, lemon juice, dill and arugula and stir.
- Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
- **Optional: Top with cooked beet sausage if desired
