The Popular Aldi Cheesy Pasta That You Can Only Find During One Season

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One of the best things about Aldi differentiating it from other retailers is the wide selection of European-inspired foods. Some are part of the standard lineup, while others come and go seasonally. One such seasonal offering is the Cheese Egg Spaetzle by Aldi's brand Deutsche Küche that celebrates all things German. It's usually only available at stores during the fall, and it's one of the must-grabs during Aldi's German week.

The Cheese Egg Spaetzle is a nod to kaesespaetzle, which is a German comfort food akin to American mac and cheese. It's made with spaetzle noodles, which are much thicker and eggier than regular pasta; think of them as something between a gnocchi, a noodle, and a dumpling. Spaetzle can be served with a variety of different sauces, and several European countries have incorporated the noodles into their own traditional dishes. For example, spaetzle with chicken paprikash (a Hungarian specialty) was Harry Houdini's favorite dinner meal.

In Germany, though, spaetzle is commonly eaten with cheese, which is why the dish is called kaesespaetzle (kaese is the German word for cheese). Aldi's spin on this comforting classic can be prepared on the stovetop or in the microwave in just 13 minutes, and the only thing you need to add is two cups of water. One bag of dried Cheese Egg Spaetzle usually sells for about $1.99, making the urge to stock up that much harder to resist. 

The cheesy spaetzle product isn't the only variety of this doughy goodness you can snag at Aldi. The chain carries two more dried flavors under the Deutsche Küche brand, one with onion sauce and another with mushroom sauce, both with the same simple cooking instructions. When they're out of season at Aldi, you can easily find all three flavors on Amazon in a bundle — just keep in mind that they're much pricier.

When available, you might also see spaetzle in Aldi's freezer section, where it comes in the traditional cheesy flavor as well as a more Mediterranean garlic and sage rendition. However, the frozen version reportedly leaves a lot to be desired in terms of flavor and texture, so your best bet is to stick with the dried packages. 

If you prefer to make your own sauces and further experiment with all the ways spaetzle can be served, Aldi also carries just the noodles. Need some ideas on what to pair them with? The Swiss fry cooked spaetzle in butter, whereas we like serving them with asparagus and Gruyère. And word on the street is that they're fantastic in chicken noodle soup, too.