German Spaghetti with Bratwurst, Bacon, and Creamy Cheddar Sauce
By Ava Mitchell
Total
30 min
Servings
4
On spaghetti night‚ German Spaghetti includes crispy bacon and sliced bratwurst‚ mushrooms‚ and German beer in a cheddar-spaghetti sauce․ Stoneground mustard and apple cider vinegar add brightness to balance the rich meat flavors in the pasta sauce․ Chopped fresh chives are sprinkled over each serving of spaghetti for additional flavor and color․
Pasta is prepared in one pan․ Bacon is fried in a second pan to produce bacon grease and fried bratwurst and other vegetables‚ such as onions and mushrooms‚ in the same pan․ German beer is deglazed in the same pan․ A roux is made in a third pan with butter and flour‚ and milk is added slowly․ Cheddar cheese‚ German stone-ground mustard‚ vinegar‚ and sour cream are added to the pan sauce and combined with cooked pasta․
Look for onions and mushrooms to cook down before adding beer․ The leftover cooked beer amount will be about 1/4 cup․ The cooked milk mixture will be thick and ready when you can stir in cheese at the end of cooking․ Possible issues: The mixture may thicken too much when combined with pasta․ Reserve pasta cooking water to help with this․
Serve it with chives and hot pasta to make it easier to eat․ This dish is a complete meal․ Any leftover pasta will become firmer when cooled in the refrigerator․ Reheat leftover pasta with pasta cooking liquid only if you saved some․
Why you'll love this recipe
- Serves four as a full dinner․ Bacon‚ bratwurst‚ mushrooms‚ and spaghetti are cooked in a sauce‚ not served as a side dish․
- Fans of filling pub food like bacon and bratwurst added to every portion․ Other condiments and seasonings used with the creamy sauce include beer‚ mustard‚ and vinegar․
- Busy cooks should find the two pans relatively easy to handle‚ the pasta will cook while the skillet ingredients simmer․ It should be possible to cook a 30-minute meal without closely monitoring time․
- Leftover portions can be rewarmed and thinned with pasta water to coat the pasta with sauce again․
- For a family of four‚ the serving size mentioned will give each person enough meat and pasta to have a filling meal․
- The chives are served on top․ Customers who don't want chives with their meal can have pasta with bacon and bratwurst without chives․
Ingredients
- •8 oz uncooked spaghetti
- •½ lb bacon (chopped)
- •1 lb bratwurst sausage (sliced)
- •1 small yellow onion (thinly sliced)
- •1 cup baby Bella or button mushrooms (thinly sliced)
- •8 oz Heifeweizen or other German beer
- •3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- •3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- •2 cups milk
- •1 cup cheddar cheese (grated)
- •2 tablespoons stoneground mustard
- •1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- •½ cup sour cream
- •1 tablespoon fresh chives (chopped)
- •kosher salt (to taste)
- •freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- 1
Cook pasta according to package directions, and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
- 2
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp.
- 3
Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, leaving the fat in the skillet.
- 4
Add sausage and onions and cook until sausage is starting to brown and onions are translucent.
- 5
Add mushrooms and cook until soft and onions have started to caramelize.
- 6
Add beer and scrape any bits from the bottom of the pan.
- 7
Cook until liquid reduces to 1/4 cup. Remove from heat and keep warm.
- 8
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- 9
Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly.
- 10
Slowly stir in milk. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking until mixture thickens, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
- 11
Stir in mustard and cheese and remove from heat.
- 12
Add apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper, and stir until incorporated.
- 13
Add sausage mixture, bacon, and sour cream and stir until well combined.
- 14
Toss with pasta, adding reserved pasta cooking water if mixture is too thick.
- 15
Adjust seasoning as needed, top with snipped chives, and serve.
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