Spätzle is the German egg noodle traditionally associated with Swabia and often served with cheese or gravy.
The dough is made from eggs, flour, salt, and water or milk. It is pushed through a spätzle press, scraped from a board, or cut into boiling water, producing irregular, soft noodles. After cooking, the pieces may be served immediately or browned in butter.
Spätzle is a staple of southwestern German cuisine, particularly in Swabia and Baden-Württemberg. It also appears in neighboring Austria, Switzerland, Alsace, and parts of northern Italy. Käsespätzle layers the noodles with cheese and fried onions, while other versions accompany meat dishes and gravy.
Although often translated as egg noodles, spätzle is not a dried pasta. Its rough, uneven shapes come from dropping fresh batter directly into boiling water.