Recipes Special Diets Vegetarian Buttery Spaetzle with Roasted Cauliflower and Shallots 5.0 (2) 2 Reviews Smoky roasted cauliflower and nutty brown butter headline this satisfying vegetarian main course. Like tiny gnocchi, German spaetzle are delicious simply blanched but spring to a whole new level when crisped with butter in a pan. This recipe calls for store-bought dried spaetzle, which turn springy and chewy when cooked. Boiled then crisped in butter, they get a finishing lift from fresh dill and crushed red pepper. By Justin Chapple Justin Chapple Facebook Instagram Twitter Justin Chapple is a chef, recipe developer, food writer, video host, and cookbook author. In addition, he is the culinary director-at-large of Food & Wine and host of their video series, Mad Genius Tips, for which he was nominated twice for a prestigious James Bead Award. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on January 19, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Active Time: 25 mins Total Time: 45 mins Yield: 6 to 8 servings Ingredients 1 small (2-pound) head purple or regular cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets (about 6 1/2 cups) 2 ½ cup thinly sliced shallots or red onion ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 4 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste 2 ½ quarts water 10 ounces dried spaetzle (such as Bechtle Hofbauer) ½ cup unsalted butter (4 ounces) 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Dill sprigs, sour cream, and crushed red pepper, for garnish Directions Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss together cauliflower, shallots, oil, 2 teaspoons salt, paprika, and black pepper on a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread mixture in a single layer. Roast in preheated oven until cauliflower is tender and browned in spots, 30 to 35 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 2 1/2 quarts water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high. Stir in remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons salt. Add spaetzle, and cook according to package directions for al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Wipe pot dry. Add butter to pot, and heat over medium, stirring often, until lightly browned and foamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add cauliflower mixture, spaetzle, and reserved cooking liquid; gently toss to combine until spaetzle is coated with brown butter. Remove from heat; stir in lemon zest and juice. Season to taste with additional salt and black pepper. Garnish with dill, sour cream, and red pepper as desired. Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Note Find dried spaetzle at specialty grocery stores or online at thetasteofgermany.com. Suggested Pairing Crisp, lightly earthy German white: Villa Wolf Pinot Blanc Rate it Print