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Pumpkin Spaetzle with a Simple Meat Ragu

Easy and very tasty little German-inspired dumplings. These can be served simply buttered as a side to many dishes. Here I toss them with a simple meat and herb ragu.
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Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, German, Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

Pumpkin Spaetzle
  • 460 gr Roasted pumpkin puree
  • 1 Egg yolk
  • 140 gr Flour, all-purpose about 1 Cup
  • 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 Tbsp Neutral oil (Canola or vegetable) for tossing the cooked spaetzle
Simple Meat and Herb Ragu
  • 3 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp Butter
  • 1/2 Onion Chopped small, about 3/4 Cup
  • 1 Celery stick Chopped small
  • 1 Carrot Chopped small
  • 3 Garlic cloves Chopped small
  • 400 gr Ground meat Beef, Pork, Veal, Sausage or a mixture
  • 1 Small chunk Parmesan rind if you have it, optional
  • 4-5 Thyme sprigs
  • 1-2 Rosemary sprigs
  • 1/2 Cup Cream or Whole milk
  • 1/2 Cup White wine, dry

Equipment

  • 1 Spaetzle Maker optional

Method
 

Spaetzle
  1. Mix all the ingredients, except the neutral oil, together very well. You will have a sticky batter that will hold together.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Have a large bowl of ice water ready next to it.
  3. If you have a spaetzle maker, use that to drop small dumplings of the batter directly in the water. They are cooked in a couple minutes when they float. Alternatively a colander with large holes can be used. Plop the batter in the colander and use a spatula to push the batter through the holes into the water as you move the colander back and forth.
  4. Drain the spaetzle and put them in the bowl of ice water for a few minutes to chill and set.
  5. Drain the spaetzle very well again and toss them in a couple of tablespoons of neutral oil. If you are not using right away, spread them on a baking sheet to cool completely then transfer to a bowl or sealed bag (like Ziploc) and store in the fridge. They will be fine for several days.
  6. To serve as a side, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil or butter or both and sauté the cooked dumplings. For best flavor let them brown a bit. Sprinkle with more parmesan and crispy sage leaves if desired. Alternatively, toss them with a sauce like the ragu here for a satisfying one bowl meal.
Ragu
  1. Heat the butter and oil in a 12 inch pan with high sides. This is ideal so that you can toss the cooked spaetzle in there and have everything in one pan. You can instead, if you prefer, make the meat sauce in a sauce pan and just toss everything later in a bowl. Add the vegetables and a good pinch of salt and sauté gently for 5 minutes or so to soften.
  2. Add the meat and cook, stirring and breaking it apart for a few more minutes. You do not want to brown the meat, just cook it until it is no longer pink and raw looking.
  3. Add the herbs, just leave them on their branches, you can pick them out later. Add the parmesan rind if you are using it and cook everything for a couple minutes. Now pour in the cream (or milk) and the white wine. Add another pinch of salt, bring to a simmer and reduce the heat.
  4. Partially cover the pan and cook the ragu gently for 30 to 45 minutes. Fish out the herb "branches" all leaves should be pretty much gone in the sauce now. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. If you have extra fresh thyme leaves or chopped rosemary you can add those too, to your taste.
  5. Toss in the cooked (and ideally sauteed) spaetzle, and serve in bowls topped with plenty of Parmesan cheese.