Spätzle dumplings with pumpkin and herbs

Spätzle are an unusual and refined vegetarian dish. Normally, spätzle - long, narrow dumplings or noodles made with a special kitchen utensil - are made with just flour and eggs, or with the addition of a little spinach in the dough. In this seasonal version, spätzle are made with pumpkin so that they take on the vibrant colour and sweet taste that goes so well with a simple dressing of butter and cheese. Try this dish if you want to disguise the presence of vegetables for those who don’t usually eat them ... they will be pleasantly surprised!

Cook the pumpkin in milk, chop the herbs, then drain the pumpkin and let it dry in the pan, before mashing it up to make a puree. Add the egg yolks, chopped herbs and flour. Mix together until smooth, adding a little cooking water to keep it quite soft and sticky. You’ll now need a special utensil for making spätzle. Boil some salted water, make the spätzle with the appropriate utensil, drain and toss with butter and parmesan cheese or with the pumpkin sauce that you made with the milk.