Homemade Maultaschen with spinach and minced meat

Maultaschen are large, filled pasta pillows from German cuisine, firm inside and tender outside. This recipe shows you how to make them at home and how deliciously simple the sauce is.

📝 Ingredients

• 300 g flour (type 00 or plain/all-purpose flour)
• 3 eggs (M)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 pinch of salt (for the dough)
• 400 g mixed minced meat
• 200 g frozen spinach (thawed and well squeezed)
• 1 onion (for the filling)
• 2 onions (for frying)
• 1 egg (for the filling)
• 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• Nutmeg (freshly grated)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1.5 liters beef stock
• 40 g butter
• Splash of sunflower oil
• Fresh chives (for garnish)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Make the pasta dough: combine 300 g flour with 3 eggs, a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons of water until a smooth dough forms. Knead the dough by hand for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.Make the filling: heat a splash of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Sauté 1 finely chopped onion until translucent, add 400 g mixed minced meat and cook, breaking it up. Add 200 g well-squeezed, finely chopped frozen spinach and briefly cook together. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and 1 teaspoon dried marjoram. Let the filling cool.Add 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs and 1 egg to the cooled filling. Mix well and taste to check the seasoning.Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until thin, to an approximately rectangular sheet about 2 mm thick. Place small mounds of filling (about 1 tablespoon each) at regular intervals over half of the dough sheet, leaving about 5 cm between each mound.Fold the other half of the dough over the filling. Press the dough firmly around each mound so no air is trapped. Cut the Maultaschen out with a pizza cutter or knife into rectangular or square portions of roughly 8 x 8 cm. Press the edges extra firmly with a fork.Bring a large pan with 1.5 liters of beef stock to a boil. Reduce the heat so the stock is gently simmering. Cook the Maultaschen in batches for 8 to 10 minutes in the stock until cooked through and they float to the surface. Carefully lift them out with a slotted spoon.Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and melt 40 g butter. Slowly fry 2 onions, sliced into rings, until golden brown. Add the cooked Maultaschen and fry them for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until lightly golden.Divide the Maultaschen among deep plates. Spoon the fried onions over them, sprinkle with fresh chives and serve immediately. A green salad or a bowl of clear stock on the side completes the meal.