Maultaschen
Maultaschen come from Swabia, in southwestern Germany, where a popular legend claims Cistercian monks at Maulbronn Abbey invented the dish during Lent to disguise minced meat inside spinach and pasta so it could be eaten without technically breaking the fast, earning it the nickname "Herrgottsbescheißerle," or "little God-cheaters." Whatever the truth of the story, the dish is documented in the region as early as the nineteenth century and has since become the most recognizable specialty of Swabian home cooking. Each large pasta square is folded around a filling of ground meat, spinach, onion, and soaked bread, then sealed and poached in broth until the dough turns translucent. Families traditionally served them straight in the cooking broth on Thursdays, a day sometimes called "Schwäbischer Feiertag," or fried the leftovers the next day with egg and onion in a version known as "Maultaschen geschmälzt."
Meat hidden in green dough
Legend says Swabian monks invented the dish to hide meat from God during Lent, mincing it fine and mixing it with spinach.
Hand-sealed dough pockets
Thin squares of egg pasta are folded and pressed tightly around the filling so nothing escapes while boiling.
Served three ways
Boiled in broth, pan-fried with egg and onion (Maultaschen geschmälzt), or in a light soup — every household has its favorite.
Swabia's edible legend
Nicknamed "Herrgottsbescheißerle," or "little God-cheaters," it's one of Germany's most beloved regional specialties.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 300g flour and 3 eggs, for the pasta dough
- 250g ground pork
- 200g fresh spinach, blanched and chopped
- 100g smoked bacon, diced
- 1 bread roll, soaked and squeezed
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 eggs, for the filling
- Nutmeg, marjoram, salt, and pepper
- 1.5 liters beef broth, for cooking and serving
How to make it
- 1Knead the flour, eggs, and a pinch of salt into a smooth pasta dough, then let it rest, wrapped, for 30 minutes.
- 2Sauté the onion and bacon until golden, then mix them with the ground pork, spinach, soaked bread, eggs, nutmeg, and marjoram into a firm filling.
- 3Roll the dough out thinly and cut it into large rectangles about 12 centimeters wide.
- 4Spread a line of filling along each rectangle, fold the dough over it, and press the edges firmly to seal.
- 5Cut the folded strip into individual pockets and pinch each seam closed so the filling stays inside.
- 6Bring the beef broth to a gentle simmer and poach the Maultaschen for about 10 minutes, until the dough turns translucent at the edges.
- 7Serve them straight in the broth, or lift them out and pan-fry with sliced onion and beaten egg for the classic "geschmälzt" style.
Nutritional info
per serving (~400 ml)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
