Ghackets und Hörnli is a classic dish from the German-speaking part of Switzerland, which almost everyone had served up several times during their childhood and – if you are like me – always greeted with joy. The dish consists of Hörnli, a Swiss pasta variant (in this recipe I used big Hörnli, but usually they are smaller) and a minced meat sauce – and it is traditionally served with a fresh apple sauce.

Ingredients (for 4 people):

Apple sauce:
800g apples, peeled, seeds taken out, cut into pieces
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp sugar (optional, I omitted the sugar, the apples were sweet enough)

“Ghackets” / Minced meat sauce:
1 tbsp butter
approx. 600g beef, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1-2 carrots, chopped into small pieces
1-2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tin of chopped tomatoes (approx. 300g)
0.5 dl meat stock
1 dl red wine
Thyme, chopped (approx. 0.5 TL)
paprika, salt and pepper

Hörnli:
approx. 400g Hörnli (or pasta of your choice)
Parmesan cheese, grated

Preparation

Apple sauce:
Place the apple pieces with the lemon juice in a small pan. Cover and simmer at low heat for 15-20 minutes until apples are soft. Then puree with a blender and set aside until ready to serve.

“Ghackets” / Minced meat sauce:
Fry the onions and garlic in a little butter until translucent. Add the minced meat and fry for 2-4 minutes, add the carrots. Deglaze with red wine. Reduce heat, add tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, stock, thyme and paprika powder. Cover and let simmer for about 25-30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper – and serve.

Hörnli:
Cook the pasta in salted water for 8-10 minutes al-dente. Drain and return to the pan with a little butter or olive oil.

Serve:
Serve the pasta with minced meat sauce on top, sprinkle with grated cheese and serve the applesauce in a separate bowl.

Tip: If you serve the applesauce cold, you can also make it a day in advance and store it in the fridge.