Pasta with farmer’s cheese and bacon cracklings Recipe
Pasta with farmer’s cheese and bacon cracklings is a simple, hearty dish that appears in many Polish homes as a quick lunch or dinner. It’s a bit like Italian pasta e ricotta, but made with Polish twaróg and crispy bacon. Perfect when you’re short on time but want something homemade.
Pasta with farmer’s cheese and bacon cracklings is the essence of Polish comfort food – simple ingredients with huge satisfaction in every bite. The combination of delicate, slightly tangy twaróg with crispy smoked bacon and sautéed onion gives an effect similar to Russian-style pierogi, but in a quick pasta version. It’s a dish that marries the Italian way of eating pasta with very Polish flavours and ingredients.
Chef's tips
Cook the pasta al dente – if you overcook it, the whole dish will turn into a heavy mush, especially after mixing with cream and cheese. Render the bacon over medium heat, patiently, until it’s really crispy and golden; only then will the cracklings add a powerful hit of flavour. Before adding, mash the twaróg with a fork and a little cream so there are no dry lumps, which are hard to distribute evenly through the pasta later.
How to serve
Serve immediately after preparing, very hot, ideally in deep bowls – this is my go-to “emergency” after-work dinner when everyone bursts into the house starving. To drink, kefir, buttermilk or a glass of cold milk work perfectly, pleasantly balancing the saltiness of the bacon. The dish is so filling it doesn’t really need sides, but you can throw together a simple cucumber and dill salad if you want to add some freshness.
Ingredients
- fusilli or penne pasta - 250 g
- semi-fat twaróg (Polish farmer’s cheese) - 200 g
- smoked bacon - 100 g
- cream - 50 ml
- onion - 0.5 piece
- oil or clarified butter - 1 tablespoon
- salt -
- pepper -
Preparation
- Cook the pasta in a large amount of salted water according to the package instructions until al dente, meaning soft but still slightly firm to the bite. Drain, reserving about 2–3 tablespoons of the cooking water.
- Cut the bacon into small cubes. If using onion, peel it and dice finely.
- Heat the oil or clarified butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and fry for 5–7 minutes, until the fat renders and the bacon pieces become golden and crispy.
- If using onion, add it to the bacon and fry for another 3–4 minutes, until it softens and lightly browns.
- Crumble the twaróg with a fork in a bowl. If you like, add the cream and mix to form a slightly creamy mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the twaróg and 2–3 tablespoons of the cooking water to the hot, drained pasta. Mix until the cheese is evenly distributed and gently warmed through.
- Spoon the hot bacon and onion cracklings along with the rendered fat over the pasta with cheese.
- Serve immediately while the dish is hot and fragrant.
Storage
Store cooled leftovers in the fridge in a closed container for up to 24 hours. Reheat in a pan over low heat, adding a bit of water, milk or cream and stirring so the cheese loosens up again. The bacon will lose some of its crispiness, so if you care about texture, fry a small fresh portion of bacon cracklings and add them just before serving.
