Spaghetti Ice Cream (Spaghetti Eis)

Imagine creamy vanilla ice cream noodles. They sit on a cold bed of whipped cream, covered in a strawberry sauce that resembles Bolognese. In the end, you sprinkle it with white chocolate parmesan. This ice cream dish is so much fun and a wonderful taste sensation.

This is the most popular ice cream dessert in Germany, and you should not leave the country before you have tried it at least once. Of course, I am talking about the famous Spaghetti Ice Cream (Spaghetti Eis).  

What is German Spaghetti Ice Cream?

Spaghetti ice cream does not consist of spaghetti and ice cream, as the name might assume. Nor is it spaghetti flavoured ice cream. 

German spaghetti ice cream is an ice cream sundae shaped like spaghetti.  Here are the four main ingredients of spaghetti ice cream. 

• The ice dessert is made from vanilla ice cream, which is shaped like spaghetti. You can achieve this by pressing the ice cream through a spaetzle press or potato ricer. 
• It is topped with pureed strawberry sauce – which is made to resemble bolognese sauce. 
• At last, the ice cream creation is dusted with parmesan. Made from white chocolate. 
• The spaghetti ice also sits on a bed of whipped cream. 

Spaghetti Eis History and Origin

The noodle shaped ice cream creation originated in the German town of Mannheim. In 1969 Dario Fontanella, son of an Italian Immigrant, ordered a Mont Blanc Dessert, while on a skiing holiday. [Source: Made in Germany! So wurde das Spaghetti-Eis vor 50 Jahren erfunden! | Galileo | ProSieb - Interview with Dario Fontanella]

Mont Blanc is a sweetened chestnut puree in the form of vermicelli. He was so impressed with the unusual shape of this dessert that he tried to recreate it at home with a spaetzle maker. 

At first, he pressed a scoop each of pistachio, strawberry and lemon ice cream through a spaetzle press. He wanted the dish to resemble the Italian flag. However, his father did not like the idea of “multi-coloured spaghetti”. So he used vanilla ice cream to make yellow ice spaghetti.

His first attempts at creating this dish resulted in a soft mess. It took a while to work out that he had to place the spätzle press in the freezer before pressing, in order to keep the shape. 

Spaghetti Eis first appeared in his father's ice cream parlour menu in 1969. Today you can find it in every ice cream parlour all over Germany.

The spaghetti ice is not patented

It is a shame that Dario Fontanella never patented this invention. He might have been a millionaire by now.  At the time, his father and a lawyer he consulted told him that it would not be possible. You could not patent the shape of an ice cream they said. 

In an interview with Travelbook.de he said “Of course I regret this a little bit. But I console myself that the Spaghetti ice cream would not have become one of the most sold ice cream specialities in Germany, had I patented the name and shape”. [Source: Travelbook.de Die bittere Geschichte des Spaghettieis-Erfinders"]

How to make spaghetti ice cream

Spaghetti Ice Cream Maker 

The most important tool is the spaghetti ice cream maker. Today you can buy fancy big spaghetti ice machines. They are meant for restaurants. For the average home cook, like you and me, a spätzlemaker or potato ricer is sufficient. I lean towards a spätzle maker as the holes are a little larger.

It is important that you place it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before using, as otherwise, the ice cream will be melting pretty much before it hits the plate. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 litre vanilla ice cream 
• 200 gr / 7 oz strawberries (fresh or frozen) 
• 4 tablespoon sugar 
• 100 g / 3.5 oz whipping cream 
• 50 gr/ 1/7 oz white chocolate

Spaghetti Ice Recipe Steps

1. Prepare for your ice cream creation by placing your spätzle maker or potato ricer in the freezer at least 30 minutes beforehand. It is also advisable to place the dessert bowls or plates in the freezer beforehand. This will prevent the ice cream from melting too fast. 
2. If you use frozen strawberries, sprinkle them with the sugar and leave them to defrost. If using fresh strawberries, wash, remove the stem, and quarter them. Sprinkle them with sugar and set them aside to absorb for 30 minutes. Then puree the strawberries with an immersion stick or blender. Place the pureed strawberries in the fridge to keep cool. 
3. Whip the cream with a hand or stand mixer until stiff. Place in the fridge to keep cool until ready for serving. 
4. With a small grater (parmesan grater) grate the white chocolate into a bowl. Place into the fridge until ready for serving. 

5. To assemble – collect all your equipment and ingredients from your fridge and freezer. 
6. Add one tablespoon of whipped cream to a plate or bowl. Press 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream through your spätzle press/potato ricer on top of the whipped cream. Pour the strawberry sauce on top. Lastly, sprinkle with the grated white chocolate. 
7. Optional, decorate with fresh strawberries or mint leaves. 
8. Repeat for the remaining portions. Serve immediately.

Recipe Variations: 

The above recipe is the original recipe. Nowadays you can find variations of the authentic spaghetti ice cream all over Germany. Here are some example 

• Carbonara – nut ice cream, eggnog liqueur, nut dessert sauce, roasted hazelnut and walnuts 
• Banana Joe – chocolate ice cream, with whipped cream, banana slices and white chocolate parmesan. 
• Kiwi – vanilla ice cream, cream, kiwi slices, kiwi sauce and white chocolate parmesan 
• Forest Fruits – yoghurt ice cream, with cream, blueberry sauce, forest berries and white chocolate. 

The possibilities are endless… let your imagination lead you.

Where to buy spaghetti ice cream? 

In Germany, you will be able to buy this dessert in every ice cream parlour. However, if you visit Mannheim, you can get a real treat. As the original Ice cream parlour from Dario Fontanella still exists. Here is a link to the original spaghetti ice cream parlour "Eis Fontanella" in Mannheim. 

Nowadays you can find Spaghetti Ice Cream also in London, New York and Melbourne. I suggest googling, as I found a few ice parlours who offer this dessert.

More German Dessert Recipes

• Rote Grütze (German Red Berry Pudding)
• Vanilla Pudding
• Mango Yoghurt Dessert
• Vegan Coconut Ice Cream
• Blueberry Almond Cake
• German Strawberry Cake

This post was shared on #cookblogshare week 25