Comforts of Home

Spaetzle is a dish of tiny noodles similar to Gnocchi or dumplings that originates from Europe.  You can buy spaetzle in the pasta aisle of your local gourmet grocery store, or you can follow my directions below and make your own.

Spaetzle
475g (1 tub) light ricotta cheese
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 cups all-purpose flour

Sauce
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 can Heinz Maple Beans
1 can Campbells condensed tomato soup
Chicken Broth
Basil

Sauce - Brown beef in pan.  Add beans, tomato soup and a generous amount of basil.  Stir.  When mixture starts to bubble, add chicken broth until mixture reaches desired consistency (we like our sauce thick, but you may prefer the sauce to be thinner).
Pasta - Boil a large pot of salted water. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the flour. Blend well, then slowly stir in the flour until the mixture becomes a stiff batter. Using a flat metal grater (or colander) with large holes, fill with ¼ of batter and hold over the pot.  With a metal spatula, press small amounts of the batter through the holes directly into the water [the dough will be thick but the steam from the pot helps to thin the noodle as it falls through the holes]. As the spaetzle gradually rise to the surface of the boiling water, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a colander.  Add spaetzle to sauce and serve.
Yield:   8 * 1 cup servings.  367 cal, 9g fat, 4g fibre per serving.
{photo: Cookie magazine}