
Pistachio Spatzele
When my family was in Park City, Utah, on vacation recently to visit my mother, we had a very special dinner. What made it special was because it was just my mother, my daughter, and myself. That rarely happens because we live in different states.
On our girls’ night out without the guys and the baby, we dined at The Farm, which we’ve been to a few times before, located at The Canyons just outside of Park City. And again it did not fail to please – from the service, to the atmosphere, to the food and wine.
What really got my attention on the menu was a roasted chicken served with a pistachio spatzele, sometimes spelled spaetzle. And it was out of this world! (And I usually don’t order chicken at restaurants.)
I wish I had studied the spazele more, photographed it, something. I don’t even remember if there were pistachios in the pasta dough. I just remember that it was delicious, and that there was a crunch of added pistachios.
We ate our meals ferociously, as if we had not eaten for days! Our appetites were fueled by the hike earlier in the day, and a few cocktails outside with a gorgeous view of the mountains. But I do regret not inspecting the spazele more.
So now I’m back home and I must try out my own creation for pistachio spatzele. I googled, but came up only with pistachio pestos.
I decided it was also time to try out spatzele using a spatzele maker, instead of the larger, quenelle-shaped variety I typically make using a teaspoon.
I say they’re quenelle shaped, but really they’re more like rustic blobs.
So here’s what I did.
Pistachio Spatzele
Serves 4, generously
1/2 stick/2 ounces unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 ounces ground pistachios
Pinch of salt
1 cup white flour
Chopped pistachios, approximately 1/3 cup, or to taste
To begin, make the garlic butter for the spatzele by gently melting the butter in a skillet large enough to hold all of the spatzele. Add the garlic, stir, and then remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
To make the pistachio batter, combine the cream, eggs, pistachios and salt in a large bowl. Whisk well.
Before completing the batter, begin heating a large pot of water on the stove. I added a little salt to the water.
Add the flour to the batter until just combined. It should be drippy, but not thin.
Place the spatzele gadget over the pot of boiling water, and have the batter next to the pot with a large spoon for scooping. Also have a spider sieve on hand, and a clean dish towel to help remove some of the water. Also have the skillet with the garlic butter nearby.
Begin by scooping a good amount of the batter into the top part of the spatzele gadget that moves over the part that looks like a cheese grater. Then slowly move it back and forth. I did this two times and then stopped, so that all of the spazele could cook the same amount of time.
Fortunately the sliding part doesn’t get hot, but the cheese grater part does. It’s a little awkward to use because a hot pad is required. I recommend that you remove the spazele maker from on top of the pot because the boiling water cooks the batter on it.
Once the spatzele have cooked about one minute, remove them from the water and place the sieve on the towel to drain a bit.
Then gently toss the spatzele into the garlic butter and continue with the remaining batter. Stir the spatzele gently and add the chopped pistachios.
Today I served the spatzele with peppered pork tenderloin, and it was fabulous.
I also added a little pistachio “dust” for some color.
I honestly don’t think the pistachios in the batter did much for the flavor but overall these were probably the best spazele I’ve ever eaten!
I also thought the spazele themselves would be greener, but that’s okay!
I will definitely make these again!!!
Love pistachios–thank you for sharing this recreation and your experience with the spaetzel maker.
The gadget worked better than I anticipated!
That’s good to know–lots of gadgets are seductive–until you really try them out.
What a wonderful time for you three gals! This sounds very yummy! Love your pictures and the end product!
Thanks so much!
Love the story and how you described your visit and the food!
Thank you! I take dining out very seriously! especially since there are no really good restaurants where I live. We travel just to eat!!!
ha ha yes!
Yummy Mimi I love the idea of the pistachio’s…yum!! :)
Thank you! They were really a wonderful addition!
It actually worked really well! Just a little awkward. But then, I was also trying to take photos…
In a restaurant I once worked we had a different type of spazele every few days – yet this one with pistachios is new to me! I love the idea! :)
Thanks! Wish I could remember if this was in any way close the the restaurant version, but there was too much wine forced on me that evening! But my version was definitely tasty. Next time I probably won’t use as much garlic – I want to taste the pistachio flavor more.
I just bought a spazele maker this weekend. This is just what I was looking for and pistachios are my favorite! Thanks for sharing this, Mimi.
Oh great!!! It works really well, and the spazele turned out fabulous. I still like the big blobby spazele though, too!
Comfort food from my hometown, I miss having them a lot. I’m definitely getting the tool to make them next time I’ll go visit my parents!
You’re from Germany?
North East Italy (near the border to Austria). We have spätzle as well! :)
Oh of course! My mother is from north-eastern France, and her father was Alsatian, so she always made them, too! Now I need to re-read your bio, cause I didn’t remember this fact about you. That is such a beautiful area of Italy.
If you check out my other spazele post on the blog, you’ll see how easy it is. You just use a teaspoon, and dip in the boiling water. They’re just as good, of course, just a different size! I know what you mean about gadgets. I bought mine a couple of weeks ago just for this recipe re-creation, and went to put it away in a drawer, and there was one already. I have no memory of getting the first one. shameful, really!
We were just talking about spaetzle at work, and I shared my generic recipe. This pistachio version looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it!
Can you imagine hazelnut spazele? wow.
Hi Mimi, I have the same Spätzle devise but it doesn’t work that well for me. I have to try it again. I love your idea to add pistachio nuts.
hmmm I think I got mine through Williams-Sonoma. Does the top part just not slide well?
I love spatzle and make it every Fall with good German sauerbraten, red cabbage and the works! I will have to try your version with the pistachios – I bet the flavor is really great. I made a crust using pistachios for a dessert and it was delicious!
Nuts are fabulous ingredients!
Goodness – I love those rustic blobs! Pistachio spaetzle is a genius idea. Fabulous that you recreated this. Love the photographs and I’ve got a serious case of envy going on for your china. SO beautiful!
Thank you! Now I’m thinking hazelnut spazele…
Wow – what an amazing idea! I love the idea of adding nuts, so you’ve really got me thinking!
I’d keep the batter more on the liquid side, almost like pancake batter, which will give you longer, less blobby Spätzle :-)
In one of the photos you can see that the batter is like pancake batter. The blobs are blobs because I use a teaspoon. You just can’t overcook them, or they would be tough blobs!
It might just be my laziness, but I make the batter much more runny when using the grater, so that it almost drips through the holes by itself – as a result the Spätzle end up longer and thinner, almost as if you’d cut them the traditional way. And I don’t have to work quite so hard … ;-)
my batter was actually running through the holes, which is another reason i had to remove the gadget from on top of the pot. I really should have watched a you tube video on using the gadget, though, because now that I think of it, maybe i moved the thing back and forth too fast. i’ll try again soon
It takes a bit to get used to it and to adjust your batter accordingly. Spätzle can be a little tricky that way! I’ll definitely be looking into adding nuts to mine soon – I’ll keep you posted!
Great! I grew up on spazele because my mother is French and her father was Alsatian, and I love them the traditional way, but I love to play with the batter, adding pesto or pumpkin or sweet potato. it’s just fun. I’ll practice again with the gadget. thanks for the suggestion!
Good luck with it! :-)
Great idea! I love cooking with pistachios :)
They’re just so pretty, aren’t they?!!
What a special dining experience, just the laydeez. The addition of pistach to the spaetzle is a fab idea.
Isn’t it?!! I want to make spazele with hazelnuts now. and maybe some blue cheese…
This Pistachio Spazele looks so good Mimi. I have always a jar of pistachio at home! :)
I’m like you – I put them in everything
Reblogged this on Chef Ceaser.
Thank you!
I just love spazele – my French mother always made them the traditional way, but I like to add stuff to them like pumpkin or pesto. It’s true what you said about pistachios. You made me remember the days they weren’t available shelled, and when I needed them for a catering job my fingers would practically be bleeding!
absolutely there is! But I’ve always used a teaspoon, and it works great!
ah, pistachio season. that sounds so lovely. i guess i should be happy that we have pecans where I live…
ooohhh a sweet version! fabulous!
I love spaetzle but have never tried making it myself. Your pistachio version sounds lovely!
Oh it’s so easy! I going to try it wish hazelnuts next!
Nah – seriously all you need is a teaspoon!
Wow – leave it to you to figure this one out! My hat’s off to you Mimi. These sound too good to be true and I know my husband will love them. I don’t have one of those gadgets which I’m sure would make the process easier but in the past I’ve made them by just plopping them in the water.
nope – that’s all you need! Just a teaspoon!
Your plate is gorgeous and how special to have that time with your family. I’m really impressed you were able to recreate the spazele. I do love the flavour of pistachios xx
Thank you Charlie! That’s such a compliment!
Good reason to go to Germany!
hahahahahahahaha!
Nice recipe!
Thank you!
I made it, and it’s coming to the blog!