Spätzle (Garlic Dumplings with Emmentaler)

Ingredients

• 2 heads of garlic
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• ¹⁄₂ cup milk
• ¹⁄₄ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
• ¹⁄₄ cup finely chopped basil leaves
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
• ¹⁄₄ tsp. Kosher salt
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup grated emmentaler cheese

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 450°. Halve garlic crosswise with a knife and brush with olive oil; wrap with foil. Roast until soft, 1 hour. Let cool and squeeze roasted garlic cloves from their skins into a bowl; mash with a fork to a paste.
2. Melt 2 tbsp. of the butter and add to paste. Then add milk, parsley, basil, salt, and eggs; stir until smooth.
3. Put flour into a large bowl; form a well in center. Slowly pour in the garlic–milk mixture, stirring with a fork to form a smooth batter.
4. Bring a 5-qt. saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Set a perforated spätzle-making disk over the pot. Working in batches, scrape batter through holes into water. Cook until dumplings rise to surface, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer dumplings to a baking sheet.
5. Heat remaining 4 tbsp. of butter in a 12" ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add dumplings; cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 6–8 minutes. Meanwhile, heat broiler; put rack 5" from heating element. Sprinkle dumplings with cheese; broil until melted, about 2 minutes.