In Southern Germany, Spätzle and Knöpfle aka. egg noodles are very popular and served quite often. Maybe I should narrow it down a bit – they are popular in Swabia and in Baden (where I am from). I would not dare to say they are super popular in Bavaria – they have their own favorites ;P However, I brought my fondness for this type of noodles to Berlin many years ago. We love to prepare dishes like these Swabian Knöpfle with Leek & Meat Sauce – among many other traditional dishes from the area.
Even though Spätzle and Knöpfle are popular Swabian specialties, they are served almost everywhere in Germany and can be bought in pretty much every supermarket these days. You can easily make them at home, but having them ready all the time (from the supermarket) comes in quite handy. I got a simple recipe for Knöpfle made with spelt flour here on the blog – in case you want to make them yourself or can’t find them in supermarkets where you live. They are easy to prepare and much better than anything you can buy… I have to say that ;P
Well. Every pasta you prepare also needs a tasty sauce or something on the side. Plain pasta is quite boring. For this sauce here I used bratwurst, bacon, and leek. The sausages (bratwursts) can be substituted with minced meat. That might also be easier to find sometimes ;)
If you use ready-made Knöpfle (the dish also works with Spätzle) from the supermarket, your meal will be ready in no time at all. Perfect for everyone who is in a hurry after work to get dinner ready but does not want to get something from a delivery service ;) The sauce is ready almost in an instant. You just have to bring the pasta and sauce together, and you’re done.
If you have very hungry family members/friends at the table, you should perhaps prepare a little more of the pasta. You have to be the judge here. If you are cooking more often for your family, you will know how much everyone needs ;P My brother, for example, would definitely need more pasta than regular people ;P
If you already prepared Knöpfle or Spätzle – or in case you have some leftovers in the fridge that need to be used for something, you can also take a look at these recipes here: a delicious and Cheesy Spätzle Skillet with Cabbage or the absolute classic from Swabia – Sour Lentils with Spätzle & Sausages. Both dishes are delicious and quite easy to prepare.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(4 servings)
some oil for frying
1.8 oz. (50g) bacon, diced
1 large onion, finely diced
2-3 garlic cloves, finely diced
14 oz. (400g) fresh coarse bratwurst for grilling, casings removed
1 large leek, in rings
1/2 cup (120ml) dry white wine
1 cup (240ml) veggie stock
7 oz. (200g) sour cream
salt, pepper
1-2 tbsp. all-purpose flour (optional)
28 oz. (800g) Swabian Knöpfle (store-bought or homemade)
(4 Portionen)
etwas Öl zum Anbraten
50g Speck, gewürfelt
1 große Zwiebel, fein gewürfelt
2-3 Knoblauchzehen, fein gewürfelt
400g grobe Bratwürste (nur das Brät)
1 großer Lauch, in Ringen
120ml trockener Weißwein
240ml Gemüsebrühe
200g Schmand
Salz, Pfeffer
1-2 EL Mehl (optional)
800g Knöpfle (Kühlregal oder Homemade)
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Start with the veggies – peel and finely dice the onion and garlic. Clean the leek, cut it into rings, then rinse well and drain. Cut the bacon into small cubes. Remove the sausage meat from the casings. Prepare all ingredients and keep them ready.
2. Add some oil to a Dutch oven* (or large pot) and heat up. Add the diced bacon and cook until it has released some fat and is nicely browned. Next, add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft and glossy – about 2-3 minutes. Add the minced meat from the sausages and cook/fry until crumbly and nicely browned all around. Add the drained leek rings and cook/fry briefly with the rest. Deglaze with the white wine and let it cook down by about half, then add the veggie stock and sour cream and stir in. Season with salt and pepper – do not use a lot of salt here (the bacon might be quite salty already) and season more at the end. Reduce the heat slightly and let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. While the sauce is simmering, heat up a large frying pan with some oil. Add the Knöpfle noodles and cook/fry them for some time. We usually add a little bit of water, cover the noodles with a lid, and let them steam briefly. Knöpfle from the store can be a bit dry sometimes and by steaming them you don’t have to cook them in saltwater beforehand. This step is not necessary with homemade Knöpfle.
4. Check the sauce at the end of the cooking time – if it has not thickened enough, add some flour, stir it in, and let everything cook for an additional minute or so. This will help thicken the sauce. Season with more salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve the noodles together with the sauce.
1. Als Erstes das Gemüse vorbereiten – dazu die Zwiebel und den Knoblauch schälen und fein würfeln. Den Lauch säubern, in Ringe schneiden, dann gut durchspülen und abtropfen lassen. Den Speck in kleine Würfel schneiden. Die Bratwürste längs aufschneiden und das Brät entfernen. Alle Zutaten bereitstellen.
2. Etwas Öl in einem großen (gusseisernen) Topf* erhitzen. Den gewürfelten Speck dazugeben und auslassen. Sobald der Speck schön gebräunt ist, die gewürfelte Zwiebel und den Knoblauch dazugeben und glasig andünsten – dauert 2-3 Minuten. Als Nächstes das Wurstbrät zum Topf dazugeben und krümelig anbraten. Es sollte gut Farbe bekommen. Die abgetropften Lauchringe dazugeben und kurz mit anbraten. Das Fleisch und das Gemüse mit dem Weißwein ablöschen. Den Wein etwa zur Hälfte einkochen lassen, dann die Gemüsebrühe und den Schmand dazugeben und unterrühren. Mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen – beim Salz etwas sparsamer sein und lieber am Ende noch einmal abschmecken. Die Soße etwa 10 Minuten bei leicht reduzierter Hitzezufuhr köcheln lassen.
3. Während die Soße köchelt, eine große Pfanne mit etwas Öl erhitzen und dann die Knöpfle erhitzen und leicht anbraten. Wir geben meist noch ein wenig Wasser in die Pfanne, decken die Knöpfle mit einem Deckel ab und lassen sie auch noch kurz dampfen. Manchmal sind solche Nudeln aus dem Kühlregal etwas trocken und so spart man sich das Kochen in Salzwasser – bei selbst gemachten Nudeln ist das nicht notwendig.
4. Sollte die Soße nach der Kochzeit nicht eingedickt sein, kann man mit ein wenig Mehl nachhelfen. Einfach einrühren und kurz mitkochen – die Soße sollte so schnell dickflüssiger werden. Noch einmal mit Salz und Pfeffer nachwürzen, falls notwendig, und dann zusammen mit den Knöpfle servieren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Swabian Knöpfle (Egg Noodles) with Leek & Meat Sauce
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Cook Time: 00:30
- Total Time: 00:40
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Cuisine: Germany
Description
A quick and easy dish that is perfect for a weeknight dinner – Swabian Knöpfle (Egg Noodles) with Leek & Meat Sauce. A classic and delicious German dish.
Ingredients
some oil for frying
1.8 oz. (50g) bacon, diced
1 large onion, finely diced
2–3 garlic cloves, finely diced
14 oz. (400g) fresh coarse bratwurst for grilling, casings removed
1 large leek, in rings
1/2 cup (120ml) dry white wine
1 cup (240ml) veggie stock
7 oz. (200g) sour cream
salt, pepper
1–2 tbsp. all-purpose flour (optional)
28 oz. (800g) Swabian Knöpfle (store-bought or homemade)
Instructions
1. Start with the veggies – peel and finely dice the onion and garlic. Clean the leek, cut it into rings, then rinse well and drain. Cut the bacon into small cubes. Remove the sausage meat from the casings. Prepare all ingredients and keep them ready.
2. Add some oil to a Dutch oven* (or large pot) and heat up. Add the diced bacon and cook until it has released some fat and is nicely browned. Next, add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft and glossy – about 2-3 minutes. Add the minced meat from the sausages and cook/fry until crumbly and nicely browned all around. Add the drained leek rings and cook/fry briefly with the rest. Deglaze with the white wine and let it cook down by about half, then add the veggie stock and sour cream and stir in. Season with salt and pepper – do not use a lot of salt here (the bacon might be quite salty already) and season more at the end. Reduce the heat slightly and let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. While the sauce is simmering, heat up a large frying pan with some oil. Add the Knöpfle noodles and cook/fry them for some time. We usually add a little bit of water, cover the noodles with a lid, and let them steam briefly. Knöpfle from the store can be a bit dry sometimes and by steaming them you don’t have to cook them in saltwater beforehand. This step is not necessary with homemade Knöpfle.
4. Check the sauce at the end of the cooking time – if it has not thickened enough, add some flour, stir it in, and let everything cook for an additional minute or so. This will help thicken the sauce. Season with more salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve the noodles together with the sauce.
Notes
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
