Poland · Main · Hard
Pierogi
Rome's most famous pasta. Silky egg and Pecorino sauce clinging to every strand, studded with crisp guanciale. No cream, ever.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Pierogi, in 5 ideas
- Rest the dough. Thirty minutes relaxes the gluten so it rolls thin without springing back. Skip the rest and fight the dough the whole time.
- Mash the potatoes smooth. Lumps tear the thin dough from the inside. Rice them or mash twice.
- Do not overfill. One tablespoon looks stingy but it is right. Overstuffed pierogi cannot seal and they explode.
- Freeze before boiling. Lay shaped pierogi on a floured tray, freeze solid, then bag. Boil straight from frozen, adding 2 minutes.
- Sauerkraut filling is classic too. Squeeze a jar of sauerkraut very dry, chop fine, mix with sauteed onion. Same dough, same method.
What you need
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 lb russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1 cup farmer's cheese or ricotta
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp butter, for frying
- Sour cream, for serving
How to make it
Directions
- Make the dough: mix the flour and salt, then work in the egg, sour cream, and softened butter until a smooth dough forms. Knead 5 minutes. Rest covered 30 minutes.
- Boil the potatoes in salted water until very tender, 15 minutes. Drain and mash completely smooth. Cool slightly, then mix in the farmer's cheese and cheddar. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Roll the dough to 1/8 inch thick on a floured surface. Cut 3-inch rounds with a glass or cutter.
- Place 1 tablespoon of filling on each round. Fold over and pinch the edges shut firmly, pressing out any air. Crimp with a fork if you like.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Cook the pierogi in batches until they float, about 3 minutes, then 1 minute more. Lift out with a slotted spoon.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until golden, 8 minutes.
- Pan-fry the boiled pierogi in the buttery onions 2 to 3 minutes per side until crisp and golden. Serve hot with sour cream.
Seal them like your dinner depends on it. Any gap lets water in and filling out. Pinch, then pinch again. Air pockets cause bursting.