Pages

Friday, November 2, 2012

Babcia’s Lazy Pierogi



Babcia’s Lazy Pierogi
by Mary Polovinuk
adapted from all those Polish Grandma’s recipes

I don’t have a Babcia, I have a Nana.  But all the Babcias in my neck of the woods bring this type of dish to potlucks throughout the year.  Although many of them use a cream of something soup to bind things together, I prefer to use butter and a bit of the pasta water to add moisture.  This is better the day after it’s made...it’s a great dish to make on Sunday for a dinner later in the week! 

I used the Marx Foods dried shiitake mushrooms in my dish, along with 1/2 pound of fresh mushrooms I had on hand.  You could use all dried, those mushrooms
lend such a rich meaty flavor! 

1 pound bacon, diced
1/2 stick butter
1 large onion, diced
1 pound sauerkraut, drained – in this dish I don’t rinse it, I want the brine flavor in the dish
2 ounces Marx Foods Dried Organic Shiitake Mushrooms, reconstituted & diced
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, diced
1 pound rotini pasta, cooked as directed on package & drained – reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
black pepper

(I normally don’t add salt until tasting right before serving because of the bacon & unrinsed sauerkraut)

1. Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium heat, until nearly crisp.  Drain the bacon. Save 1/4 cup of the bacon grease and add 1/2 stick of butter to it. 

2. Add the onion and sauerkraut, cooking over medium-low heat until the onions & sauerkraut are beginning to caramelize, about 20 minutes. 

3. Add the mushrooms to the onion and sauerkraut mixture, and continue to cook for 10 more minutes. 

4. Add the bacon back to the vegetable mixture, cook for 5 more minutes, until all ingredients are nicely blended. 

5. Add the contents of the frying pan along with the reserved 1/2 cup of pasta water to the rotini noodles, mix thoroughly.  Season with black pepper.

6. Turn into a 9” x 13” pan, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until warmed through. 

7. If refrigerating and reheating, reheat at 350 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes, until heated through.

No comments:

Post a Comment