This article’s lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Spätzle is the Swabian diminutive of Spatz, thus maultasche “little sparrow”.
Knöpfle means “small buttons” and describes the compact, round form of the pasta. In everyday language usage, the two names refer to the same product made from the same dough and are interchangeable. There is no clear distinction between the way the two names are used and usage varies from one region to another. The tradition of making “Spätzle” can be traced back to the 18th century, although medieval illustrations are believed to place the pasta at an even earlier date.
Today, Spätzle are largely considered a “Swabian speciality” and are generally associated with the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Spätzle dough typically consists of few ingredients, principally eggs, flour, and salt. The Swabian rule-of-thumb is to use one more egg than the number of persons who will eat the spätzle. Often, water is added to produce a thinner dough. Altogether, the dough should thus be as viscous as to slowly flow apart if cut into strips with a knife, yet hold the initial shape for some seconds.