Spaetzle

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon margarine or butter
• 3 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven bring about 3 quarts lightly salted water to boiling.
2. Meanwhile, for spaetzle batter, in a bowl stir together flour and salt. In another bowl stir together egg and milk. Stir egg mixture into the flour mixture.
3. Set a colander with large holes (at least 3/16-inch diameter) on a large piece of waxed paper. (Or, use a spaetzle maker according to manufacturer's directions.)
4. Pour the spaetzle batter into the colander. Immediately hold the colander over the pan of boiling water; press the batter through the colander with a wooden spoon to form the spaetzle. Cook about 5 minutes or till done, stirring occasionally. Drain well.
5. Melt margarine or butter; toss with bread crumbs. Sprinkle crumb mixture over the hot spaetzle.
6. Whole Wheat Spaetzle: Prepare as above, except reduce all-purpose flour to 1/2 cup and add 1/2 cup whole wheat flour.
7. Pesto Spaetzle: Prepare as above, except omit margarine and crumbs. Toss hot cooked spaetzle with 1 portion (about 1/4 cup) Pesto for Pasta (see recipe, page 269).