Spinach Pierogi Recipe
My husband has decided spinach is his favorite pierogi filling. This was our effort to duplicate the best spinach pierogi that he's had in Poland. This made about 4 dozen pierogi, and we had a cup of filling left over, but that was alright because it's very tasty on its own.
Ingredients
for dough
- 3 c. flour
- 1 c. water
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1 egg
- for filling
- 1 T. butter
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 16 oz. frozen spinach, cooked & drained
- 6 oz. cream cheese
- 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 slice Havarti cheese
- salt
- pepper
- nutmeg
Directions
for dough
Combine all ingredients. Knead dough, until smooth and less sticky. Or if using a Kitchen Aide with a dough hook, just continue to mix, incorporating another 1/2 - 3/4 c. flour. Wrap in plastic wrap until ready to use.
(I was so worried about them popping open when they were boiled that I was meticulous about the crimping -both sides! But I had no problem with the filling leaking out.)
for spinach filling
Saute shallot and garlic in butter until translucent. Combine with all remaining ingredients. Heat until cheeses are melted and well combined. (Other than the cream cheese, use any combination of cheeses. The Parmesan and Havarti were just what we had on hand and like.) Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Allow filling to cool.
to assemble and cook
Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into large circles, about 3.5 inches. Lightly moisten, just around the edge, on half of the circle. Fill with one teaspoon of spinach mixture. Fold in half, sealing edge, and crimping with a fork. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add about 10 pierogi, stir occasionally, cooking just until they float to the top. Remove pierogi with a slotted spoon and drain. Some people will eat the pierogi, as is, at this point. We prefer to saute them in butter with onions.
Pierogi can be made in advance. Freeze them after boiling; thaw and steam or saute when ready to use them. We're making these to share with family on Christmas day, so they're going in the freezer. After all this work, I've slipped parchment paper in between the layers of dumplings, just in case.