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SERVES 4 TO 6
These tender Polish dumplings are rather like gnocchi. They’re called leniwe (lazy) because
they’re made without a filling. When I was growing up, my parents used to serve me a version of these, sprinkled with bread crumbs and sugar, to keep me from missing them when they went out on a Saturday night. Dessert for dinner—worked every time! This savory rendition of my childhood favorite pays homage to those memories, blending earthy mushrooms and tender cabbage with the brown sugar notes of chopped prunes.
Ingredients
PIEROGIES
- 12 ounces (11/4 cups) whole milk ricotta or farmer’s cheese, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted
- butter, melted and cooled
- 13/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
VEGETABLES
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 cups thinly sliced cabbage
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound shiitake or mixed wild mushrooms, stemmed if using shiitakes, mushroom caps halved or quartered if large
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted prunes
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, plus more for serving
- 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for serving(optional)
- Freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Directions
For the pierogies:
1. Bring a large wide pot of well-salted water to a boil. Whisk together the cheese, eggs, salt, and butter in a large bowl. Add the flour and stir to form a sticky dough.
2. On a floured surface, roll about a quarter of the dough into a 1-inch-thick rope, then cut the rope on a diagonal into 1-inch pieces. Repeat with the remaining dough.
3. Cook the dumplings in 2 batches in the boiling water until they rise to the surface, then cook for 1 minute more. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl.
For the vegetables:
1. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is wilted, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the prunes and cook for 1 minute more.
3. Add the pierogies, dill, parsley, and remaining 1 tablespoon butter and toss to coat the dumplings. Heat to warm through, about 1 minute. Adjust the seasonings to taste.
4. Spoon the pierogies into bowls, top with more dill and parsley, if using, and serve.
