German recipe

Swabian Maultaschen

Name: Swabian Maultaschen
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: German cuisine
Ingredients: 500 g plain flour, for dough; 5 large eggs, for dough; 30 ml water, for dough; 8 g fine salt, for dough; 120 g day-old bread, crust removed; 150 ml whole milk; 250 g fresh spinach, washed; 250 g beef mince; 250 g pork sausage meat or pork mince; 180 g onion, finely diced; 25 g unsalted butter; 2 large eggs, for filling; 20 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 4 g dried marjoram; 10 g fine salt, for filling; 3 g black pepper; 2 g ground nutmeg; 2.5 L unsalted beef stock, for simmering and serving

Large Swabian filled pasta parcels with a savoury mixture of meat, spinach, bread, onion and herbs sealed inside thin egg dough. The work is closer to ravioli than dumplings: rest the dough, keep the filling dry and cool, seal carefully, then simmer gently so the parcels stay intact.

Swabia

Prep: 1 hr 30 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 2 hr 20 min
Servings: 6

Ingredients

500 g
plain flour, for dough
5
large eggs, for dough
30 ml
water, for dough
8 g
fine salt, for dough
120 g
day-old bread, crust removed
150 ml
whole milk
250 g
fresh spinach, washed
250 g
beef mince
250 g
pork sausage meat or pork mince
180 g
onion, finely diced
25 g
unsalted butter
2
large eggs, for filling
20 g
flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
4 g
dried marjoram
10 g
fine salt, for filling
3 g
black pepper
2 g
ground nutmeg
2.5 L
unsalted beef stock, for simmering and serving

Method

01
Knead the egg dough
Combine the dough flour, dough eggs, water and dough salt. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic; the dough should feel firm rather than sticky.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Rest the dough
Wrap the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. This makes the firm dough easier to roll thinly without shrinking back.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Soak the bread
Pour the milk over the bread and leave for 10 minutes. Squeeze it firmly and break it into small soft crumbs.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Wilt and dry the spinach
Cook the spinach in a covered pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until wilted. Cool, squeeze out as much liquid as possible and chop very finely.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Soften and cool the onion
Melt the butter in a skillet and cook the onion over medium heat for 7 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Cool for 5 minutes.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Mix the filling
Combine the squeezed bread, spinach, cooled onion, beef, pork, filling eggs, parsley, marjoram, filling salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix just until uniform, then refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Roll the dough thin
Divide the rested dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece through a pasta machine to about 1 mm thick, keeping unused dough covered so it does not dry out.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
08
Fill in an even row
Lay a pasta sheet flat and place portions of filling in a straight row, leaving about 40 mm between portions and a clear border along both long edges.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
09
Fold, seal and cut
Lightly moisten the exposed dough edges, fold the sheet over the filling and press firmly around each mound to expel air. Cut into rectangular parcels about 80 mm long and check every seam.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
10
Simmer in batches
Bring the beef stock to a gentle simmer. Cook the Maultaschen in 3 batches for 10–12 minutes each, keeping the stock below a rolling boil so the seams stay intact.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
11
Rest briefly and serve
Lift the cooked parcels out and rest for 3 minutes. Serve them in hot strained broth, or drain well and finish in butter; for this version, ladle broth around 3 parcels per bowl.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Let egg dough rest before rolling or pressing; hydration relaxes the gluten and makes shaping more even.
Cook a small test piece first when dough thickness or filling moisture varies, then adjust the simmer before cooking the full batch.

Common mistakes

Overloading boiling water drops the temperature and makes fresh dough stick together; cook in manageable batches.
A wet filling or loose seal can burst filled pasta during simmering; cool and drain the filling, then press the seams firmly.

Substitutions

A robust Alpine-style cheese such as Emmentaler, Gruyère or mature mountain cheese can be blended when one regional cheese is unavailable.
For filled pasta, a ready-made fresh egg pasta sheet is practical when homemade dough is not the focus; keep the same filling and simmer gently.

Storage

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours at 0–4°C for up to 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed until piping hot throughout.

Cultural context

Maultaschen are a signature Swabian specialty and have protected geographical status in the European Union. They are served in broth, sliced and fried, or dressed with onions depending on the occasion.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

MaultascheEissele — Photograph by Nikinator86; CC0 1.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to German recipes

Swabian Maultaschen

Ingredients

Method

Knead the egg dough

Rest the dough

Soak the bread

Wilt and dry the spinach

Soften and cool the onion

Mix the filling

Roll the dough thin

Fill in an even row

Fold, seal and cut

Simmer in batches

Rest briefly and serve

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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