Spaghetti-Eis

When you go to Europe, don’t make the same mistake I did. I went up to this quaint little ice cream shop in Nuremberg with pictures of their menu items. One looked like a plate of pasta, but it was definitely a dessert. I was fascinated and wanted one despite the cooler temperatures that day. My German was (and is) limited but one phrase I caught onto quickly was “mitte Karte?” and they replied nein. They didn’t take credit cards and I had no Euros, and therefore no Spaghetti-Eis for me. That trip to Germany was three years ago and I finally got around to mastering this fun dessert illusion.

Spaghett-Eis (or spaghetti ice) is most often found in touristy areas in Germany, because it was invented in Mannheim in the late 1960s. In Germany it’s traditionally made with strawberry sauce but I wanted to make it a little differently and used raspberries because I like them more. If you want to go with the more traditional version, substitute the same amount of sliced strawberries in the recipe below.

It’s not very well known in America so you’ll have more luck making it at home rather than finding it. Plus you’ll save a lot of money this way!

It’s fairly simple and quick to assemble, but you do need to plan ahead because the trick to this is making sure your tools are cold ahead of time. And of course, you have to have the right tools.

A Study Potato Ricer

You’re going to need a sturdy stainless steel potato ricer for this. Don’t even think about attempting this with a flimsy or plastic one. Now put that sturdy stainless steel potato ricer directly into the freezer.

While you’re in the freezer, put the serving plate(s) you’ll be using in there to chill as well. I recommend ceramic or something that’ll hold onto the cold well, so not plastic or melamine.

Gelato versus Ice Cream

I thought about using them interchangably, and you can try, but I absolutely recommend vanilla gelato and here’s why:

Gelato is churned slower to trap less air for a denser texture. That helps it hold it’s shape a little better as it’s being forced out of the potato ricer holes and into its noodley shape. Gelato is also not as icy hard as ice cream which, believe me, matters when you’re using every muscle you’ve got to squeeze the potato ricer.

I like Talenti Madagascar Vanilla Bean gelato because it’s easy to find at most grocery stores. Please it’s easy to get two servings out of this sized container.

Preparing to Make Spaghett-Eis

Once you’ve put the ricer and plates into the freezer, do a little mise-en-place to make this go quickly because obviously gelato melts! Once you pull the items out of the freezer, you have to GO GO GO.

Remove the gelato from the freezer. It needs to soften just a little bit otherwise it’s very tough to get through the potato ricer. It only needs to be out about 4-5 minutes, or the amount of time it takes you to finish these next steps. Start by making the raspberry sauce in a blender or Nutribullet. Set it aside, then grate the white chocolate on the smaller side, but not the microplane side, of your cheese grater. Set it aside.

Now pull out a small plate to set the potato ricer on, and a sharp knife for cutting the noodles. Pull the whipped cream out of the fridge.

When everything is ready, grab the chilled plates and potato ricer and begin using the recipe:

More German Inspired Recipes

Obatzda

Pretzel Bites with Miso Mustard Dipping Sauce

German Leek Soup