Maultaschen (Swabian Filled Pasta Pockets)
In short: Large square pasta pockets filled with pork, ham, spinach and soft bread, poached in broth or sliced and fried with egg. It takes about 1 h 35 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 1 h 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Resting
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 h 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 560 kcal
Maultaschen are the pride of Swabia: big square pasta pockets filled with pork, ham, spinach and soaked bread roll, seasoned with onion, parsley and nutmeg. They are poached in broth and served as soup, or cooked, sliced and fried with onions and egg the next day. The dough is rolled very thin and the filling is coarse but cohesive. They freeze well, so it is worth making a large batch.
Instructions
- Mix the flour and salt, then add the eggs, oil and 2 tablespoons of water. Knead for 8 minutes until the dough is smooth and firm, adding more water if it is crumbly. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
- Blanch the spinach in boiling water for 1 minute, cool it under cold water and squeeze it very dry. Chop it finely. Soak the bread roll in the warm milk for 10 minutes, then squeeze it out.
- Cook the onion in the butter for 5 minutes until soft and let it cool.
- Mix the pork, ham, spinach, squeezed bread, onion, egg, parsley, nutmeg, marjoram, salt and pepper by hand until sticky and cohesive. Fry a teaspoon of the filling to taste for seasoning.
- Halve the dough and roll each half into a sheet 1 mm thick and about 30 x 40 cm (12 x 16 inches). Cut each sheet into 6 rectangles of 10 x 20 cm (4 x 8 inches).
- Put about 50 g (2 tbsp) of filling on one half of each rectangle, leaving a 1 cm border. Brush the edges with water, fold the dough over and press the edges together with a fork.
- Bring the broth to a gentle simmer in a wide pot. Cook the pockets in two batches for 12 to 15 minutes, until they float and the filling reaches 71°C (160°F).
- Serve the pockets in the hot broth with chives, or drain them and fry slices in butter with onions.
Tips
- Freeze uncooked pockets in a single layer on a tray, then bag them. They cook from frozen in simmering broth in about 18 minutes.
- For a quick supper the next day, slice cooked, cold Maultaschen, fry them in butter with onion and pour beaten egg over them.
Questions and answers
What are Maultaschen?
They are large square pasta pockets from Swabia, filled with pork, spinach, bread and onion. They are poached in broth or sliced and pan-fried.
Can I freeze Maultaschen?
Yes. Freeze the uncooked pockets in a single layer, then bag them for up to 3 months. Cook them from frozen in simmering broth for about 18 minutes.
How are Maultaschen different from ravioli?
They are much bigger and the dough is rolled thin. The filling is a coarse mix of meat, spinach and soaked bread rather than a smooth cheese or meat paste.
How long does it take to make Maultaschen (Swabian Filled Pasta Pockets)?
About 1 h 35 min in total: 1 h 15 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Maultaschen (Swabian Filled Pasta Pockets)?
About 560 kcal per serving, with 33 g of protein, 57 g of carbohydrates and 22 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 560 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 33 g |
| Carbohydrates | 57 g |
| Fat | 22 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Sodium | 2200 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
