Pesto spaetzle with saffron sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 300 g flour
• 3 eggs
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 2 bunches of basil
• 3 tbsp pine nuts
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt
• 2 shallots
• 2 tbsp fennel, cut into strips and some fennel greens
• ½ tsp saffron threads
• 80 ml white wine
• 250 ml vegetable stock
• 250 ml cream
• 1 tbsp butter
• salt and pepper
• butter

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Sauté the shallots and fennel in butter, deglaze with white wine. Add the vegetable broth and cream, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Strain the sauce, return it to the pot, add the saffron, and simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes. Toss with cold butter and season with salt and pepper. Roast the pine nuts in a dry pan until golden brown. In a blender, finely puree the pine nuts, peeled garlic, and torn basil leaves. It’s even better to crush them by hand in a mortar and pestle. Mix the flour, eggs, salt, and 3 tablespoons of water until a smooth dough forms. Stir the pesto into the dough. Beat the dough until thickened. Add a little water if desired. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Press the dough through a spaetzle cutter or spaetzle grater into the water. Skim off the spaetzle that float to the surface of the water, drain them in a sieve, let them simmer briefly in the saffron sauce and arrange them on plates.