Kärntner Kasnudeln

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large pot for boiling (at least 5 liters)
• •Potato ricer or sturdy fork
• •Rolling pin
• •Round cutter or small bowl (10-12cm diameter)
• •Wide heavy-bottomed pan (28-30cm) for browning
• •Slotted spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mound the flour on a clean work surface and press a wide well into the center. Crack in the eggs, add the oil and a pinch of salt. Pour in about half the lukewarm water. Using a fork, start pulling flour into the liquid from the inner walls of the well. Once it comes together into a shaggy mass, switch to your hands. Knead for eight to ten minutes, adding splashes of water as needed, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and just slightly tacky. You want it softer than bread dough but firm enough to roll thin without tearing. Wrap it tightly in cling film and rest it for thirty minutes at room temperature. The gluten needs to relax or the dough will fight you when you roll it out.

   The resting time is not optional. Unrested dough springs back every time you try to roll it, and you'll exhaust yourself and the dough. Walk away. Make the filling. Come back to a cooperative piece of pasta.
2. 2

   Cook the potatoes

   While the dough rests, boil the potatoes whole and unpeeled in well-salted water until a knife slides through without resistance, about twenty minutes depending on size. Drain and peel them while they're still hot. Use a tea towel to hold them if you need to. Press them through a potato ricer or mash them thoroughly with a fork. You want a smooth, lump-free mash with no liquid added. Let it cool to lukewarm.

   Waxy potatoes hold together better than floury ones in the filling. Floury potatoes absorb too much moisture and can make the Nudeln soggy from the inside. Choose Kipfler, Charlotte, or any firm-fleshed variety.
3. 3

   Build the filling

   Melt two tablespoons of butter in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and sweat it gently until soft and translucent, about five minutes. You don't want color here, just sweetness. Let it cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine the mashed potato, well-drained Topfen, sweated onion, and the chopped brown mint. Season generously with salt and pepper. Mix until everything is evenly combined. Taste the filling now. It should be well-seasoned, tangy from the Topfen, and fragrant with mint. If it tastes flat, it needs more salt. The dough won't add any seasoning, so the filling has to carry the whole dish.

   Drain your Topfen thoroughly. Wrap it in a clean tea towel and squeeze out the excess liquid before measuring. Wet Topfen makes wet filling, and wet filling makes Nudeln that burst open in the pot. This step matters more than anything else in the recipe.
4. 4

   Roll and cut the dough

   Lightly flour your work surface. Divide the rested dough in half and roll each piece out to about two millimeters thick. It should be thin enough to be slightly translucent when you hold it up to the light, but not so thin it tears when you handle it. Using a round cutter or a small bowl (about 10-12 centimeters across), cut circles from the dough. Gather the scraps, press them together gently, re-roll, and cut again. You should get about twenty rounds total.

5. 5

   Fill and crimp (Krendeln)

   Place a heaped tablespoon of filling on one half of each dough circle, leaving a clean border of about one centimeter. Fold the other half over to form a half-moon. Press the edges together firmly to seal, pushing out any trapped air as you go. Air pockets expand in boiling water and your Nudeln will burst. Now the Krendeln: starting at one corner of the half-moon, pinch a small fold of the sealed edge between your thumb and forefinger, then roll and press it over onto itself, working your way along the curve to the other corner. Each pinch-and-roll creates a small rope-like twist. The motion is like crimping a pie crust, but tighter and more deliberate. Your first few will look uneven. That's fine. They'll still taste perfect.

   The Krendeln isn't just decorative. That rolled edge creates a thicker seal that won't open during boiling. Carinthian grandmothers developed this technique for a reason. If you can't get the hang of it, press the edges firmly with fork tines instead. It's not traditional, but it works.
6. 6

   Boil the Nudeln

   Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a gentle boil. Slide the Nudeln in carefully, six or seven at a time so they don't crowd. Stir once, very gently, to prevent sticking. Reduce the heat so the water barely simmers. A hard rolling boil will tear them apart. Cook for about five minutes after they float to the surface. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and let them drain briefly on a clean tea towel.

   Gretel always said you should taste one before you serve the rest. Cut a Nudel open, check that the dough is cooked through and the filling is hot. Better to sacrifice one than serve twenty that are underdone.
7. 7

   Brown in butter

   Melt the 80g of butter in your widest pan over medium heat. Let it foam and then watch it closely. When the foam subsides and the butter starts to turn a warm hazelnut brown and smells nutty, lay the boiled Nudeln in a single layer. Don't move them. Let them sit for two minutes until the underside develops a golden, lightly crisp crust. Turn them once and give the other side a minute. The browned butter and the crisp dough edges are what make this dish sing. If you skip this step, you'll have a perfectly good boiled Nudel. But you won't have a great one.

8. 8

   Serve immediately

   Arrange the Nudeln on warm plates, golden side up. Spoon the brown butter from the pan over the top. Scatter fresh chives generously. Serve with a simple green salad dressed in Styrian pumpkin seed oil and cider vinegar. Nothing else. The filling is rich, the butter is rich, and the Nudeln need space to be what they are. Mahlzeit!

Chef Tips

• •Brown mint (Kärntner Nudelminze) is the soul of this dish. It's a specific variety of spearmint with a warm, almost smoky quality that regular mint doesn't have. If you can't find it, use a combination of fresh spearmint and chervil in equal parts. It's not the same, but it gets you close. Some Carinthian cooks use chervil alone, so you're not cheating.
• •The filling must be cooled to at least lukewarm before you assemble. Hot filling on thin dough turns into a sticky, tearing disaster. Patience here saves you heartbreak later.
• •Make a test Nudel before you assemble all twenty. Boil it, taste it, check the seasoning and the dough thickness. You can still adjust the filling if it needs more salt or mint. Once they're all crimped and in the pot, it's too late.
• •Leftover Kasnudeln reheat beautifully. Slice them in half and pan-fry cut side down in butter until crisp. They're almost better the next day, which is something Carinthian cooks have known forever.

Advance Preparation

• •The dough can be made up to four hours ahead, wrapped tightly in cling film and refrigerated. Bring it back to room temperature for thirty minutes before rolling.
• •The filling can be made one day ahead and refrigerated. The flavors actually improve overnight as the mint infuses into the Topfen.
• •Assembled, uncooked Nudeln can be placed on a floured tray, covered, and refrigerated for up to three hours before boiling. Don't stack them or they'll stick together.
• •Cooked Nudeln keep in the fridge for two days. Reheat by pan-frying in butter, cut side down.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 380g)