Hearty fresh-egg spaghetti from Swabia
Fresh-egg spaghetti from Schaut are slowly air-dried egg noodles made from durum wheat semolina and a generous portion of fresh eggs, bronze-cut. Not fast-produced supermarket goods, but nearly a week of handcrafting in a small family manufactory on the edge of the Swabian Alb.
Fresh-egg spaghetti are handmade egg noodles from the Schaut noodle manufactory in Andelfingen, created from durum wheat semolina and 35 percent fresh egg. Brigitte Schaut passes the dough through bronze dies, which give the pasta its finely textured surface. It is dried slowly, over the course of days, depending entirely on the weather. This results in a spaghetti with bite, a golden-yellow color, and its own unique character, far removed from smooth, mass-produced items.
Firm in bite and textured for the sauce
You will notice the difference with the very first bite: This spaghetti remains firm to the bite and hearty because the dough contains fine durum semolina from France.
The French durum wheat semolina makes the noodle heartier, something the family places great value on. The 35 percent fresh eggs give it its golden-yellow color and a full, rounded flavor. "Fresh egg" here truly means fresh egg in the dough, not egg powder, and you can taste it. It sits on the fork feeling hearty, firm, and aromatic.
Because of the bronze die, the surface remains slightly textured rather than smooth, and that is exactly where any sauce will find its hold later on. After 10 to 12 minutes in boiling salted water, the spaghetti is al dente and perfectly carries the entire sugo with it.
What belongs on this spaghetti
Classically, fresh-egg spaghetti is served with a robust sauce that clings to its textured surface. Use plenty of salted water and do not rinse afterwards; this way, the starch remains on the noodle and thickens the sauce.
A dollop of fruity tomato sauce from the same manufactory is the obvious companion, along with grated Parmesan and a drizzle of good olive oil. For those who like it simple, just add brown butter and a few sage leaves. It is also a worthy partner for a ragù that has been slow-cooked for hours. The spaghetti handles both, the loud sauces and the quiet ones.
In our pasta selection, you will find more noodles for such dishes, but this one is a good start for an honest pasta evening. A 300-gram package is enough for two to three hungry eaters.
Brigitte Schaut and her "delicate one"
Brigitte Schaut has been making noodles in Andelfingen since 1993. It all began with eggs from the family farm and a garage that was hastily converted into a noodle room. At the time, the family wanted to sell their products directly from the farm; today, the reputation of their noodles reaches far beyond Upper Swabia.
The family calls this spaghetti their "delicate one," because it requires a sensitive touch. The drying process alone takes three days, and nearly a week passes from the dough to the finished package—and in humid weather, the noodles simply won't cooperate at all. The eggs come from the nearby Untermarchtal monastery, the semolina from France, and the work is still done by the third generation today.
The small shop in the entryway grew into a farm store, an old pigsty was converted into a production area, and a dedicated sauce kitchen was added in 2013. Today, it is a manufactory with open production, through the glass of which you can watch the family at work.
More than twenty types of pasta are created here according to the motto "Time for something special." Lothar Schaut grows spelt on the family's fields, which is then turned into spelt noodles, complemented by rapeseed oil and flour from their own harvest. In addition to the spaghetti, there are other noodle specialties from Schaut, from tagliatelle to colorful heart-shaped noodles. This is what patience tastes like.