Spaetzle With Mushrooms in Cream Sauce

1. Gather the ingredients. Set a large pot of water, covered, to boil over high heat for the pasta.

2. In a large pan over medium-low heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the minced garlic and shallot, lower the heat to low, and sauté until softened and transparent, about 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Add the mushrooms, raise the heat to medium-low, and sauté until softened and slightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl, cover with a lid or inverted plate to keep warm, and set aside.

4. When the water is boiling, add about 1 tablespoon of coarse sea salt. When the water returns to a full rolling boil, add the pasta. Cook for 2 minutes less than package instructions (or until it is somewhat tender but there is still a white core when you take a bite of a test piece). Drain it and rinse quickly in cold water, then drain again thoroughly.

5. Melt the remaining 2 teaspoons of butter in the pan used to cook the mushrooms over low heat and add the spaetzle. Add the mushrooms mixture, raise the heat to medium, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the spaetzle is slightly browned, about 2 minutes.

6. Add the cream, lower the heat to low, and cook just until heated through and the cream starts to thicken, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

7. Transfer to a serving platter or bowl and garnish with the finely minced parsley and/or chives, if using. Serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

This quick-and-easy recipe uses commercially dried spätzle, but it's not difficult to make your own fresh, handmade spätzle if you so choose. If you are using fresh, reduce the pasta cooking time accordingly; you will probably need to cook fresh pasta only 1 to 2 minutes before draining and then tossing in the pan with the mushrooms.

Typically spaetzle is served as a side dish accompanied by meat dishes, such as roasts, stews, or sausages, but you can also serve it on its own as a hearty, comforting winter pasta dish.