If you ever find yourself sitting down in a cozy Biergarten (German for “beer garden”, an outdoor brewery) in Bavaria , chances are an aromatic platter of golden, buttery Spätzle will arrive at your table.

Pronounced “shpets-leh”, this iconic German dish transforms a simple dough of eggs and flour into a result that lands perfectly between a dumpling and a noodle.

Traditionally, it serves as a staple in German culture. These noodles are often thrown into soups, dressed with garlic and herbs, or, like in this recipe, baked with layers of cheese and caramelized onion s to make Käsespätzle (cheese spätzle), almost like Germany’s own, upscale version of macaroni and cheese.

This simple egg-noodle dish is versatile, straightforward, and quick. Humble as it is, this little German pasta will become the comfort food you never knew you were missing.

Ingredients:

4 tbsp butter
3 yellow onions, finely chopped
5 cups flour
6 eggs
11⁄2 tsp salt
11⁄4 cups water (adjust as needed)
3⁄4 cup shredded fontina cheese
11⁄4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Caramelize the onions: Melt butter on low in a large saucepan. Add in onions and a pinch of salt, stirring occasionally for 20-30 minutes or until deeply golden and caramelized, then turn off the heat.

Mix together eggs, flour, and salt in a large bowl. Slowly add water until the consistency is smooth and slightly thicker than pancake batter. You may need to add more or less water than the listed 11⁄4 cups. With a batter whisk, vigorously stir the mixture until bubbles form.

Boil a large pot of water with salt. In small batches, pour the batter through a späzle maker into the water (if you don’t own one, colanders and a bench scraper to scrape the dough into noodles work just as well). Once the spätzle floats to the top, strain and remove it with a slotted spoon, set aside in a separate large bowl, and repeat with the remaining batter.

In a casserole dish, spoon a layer of noodles and sprinkle over top with a layer of each cheese. Crack pepper on top to your liking. Repeat this step until you use up your noodles and cheese. You should have about 3 layers of noodles in total. To finish it off, spread the caramelized onions in an even layer on top and put the casserole dish in the oven for around 5 minutes. The objective is not to bake it, but rather to warm it and to melt the cheesy layers.

To serve, top with chopped parsley, or enjoy with a side salad for a fresh touch.