Maultaschen
Swabian stuffed pasta pockets carrying a beloved but historically unverified legend, tied to Maulbronn Abbey: a lay brother is said to have chopped meat finely and hidden it with herbs inside pasta dough during Lent so the monks could 'trick God' into not noticing they were eating meat, earning the nickname Herrgottsbescheißerle ('little God-cheaters'). The monastery's own administration is explicit that there's no documentary evidence for the story, and notes it's historically shaky on its face since Cistercian rules there banned four-footed-animal meat year-round, not just during Lent — a charming legend, not settled history. Maultaschen are traditionally palm-sized, larger than typical ravioli, and served either poached in broth as a soup or sliced and pan-fried with onions.
⚠ Contains: Dairy, Egg, Gluten. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 400g flour
- 4 eggs
- A pinch of salt
- 300g ground pork and beef mix
- 100g smoked bacon, diced
- 200g spinach or chard, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 50g stale bread, soaked and squeezed
- 1 egg (for filling)
- Parsley, marjoram, nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
Steps
- Make and rest a firm egg pasta dough from the flour, eggs, and salt.
- Combine the ground meat, bacon, spinach, onion, soaked bread, egg, and herbs into a cohesive filling.
- Roll the dough thin, spread filling over half, fold over, and seal.
- Cut into large, palm-sized squares.
- Poach in broth and serve as a soup, or slice and pan-fry with onions.