Pasta with Farmers Cheese and Bacon Cracklings Recipe
Pasta with farmers cheese and bacon cracklings is a homestyle Polish take on a quick pasta dish, reminiscent of the filling of Russian pierogi. Springy pasta is combined with creamy, slightly tangy twaróg, contrasted by crispy smoked bacon and soft onion. In this version, pasta water and cream turn the cheese into a delicate sauce, so the dish isn’t dry or clumpy.
This dish is a very Polish, homestyle way of turning the flavours of Russian pierogi filling into a quick weeknight pasta. Twaróg with pasta or potatoes is a classic combination in many regions, and adding smoked bacon cracklings makes it feel like a hearty, countryside-style meal. It’s the kind of simple, filling food many Poles associate with family kitchens and everyday cooking rather than restaurant fare.
This dish combines the flavour of Russian pierogi filling with the convenience of using just one pot and one pan, without having to make and fill dough. Thanks to pasta water and cream, the cheese turns into a sauce instead of dry crumbs. Crispy smoked cracklings add an intense aroma that ties everything together into a hearty, homely meal.
Why this version works
- Reserved pasta water binds the twaróg and cream into a sauce instead of leaving dry cheese crumbs.
- Slowly rendering the bacon over medium heat gives crisp cracklings without bitterness.
- Adding the cheese to hot pasta gently warms and loosens its texture.
- Cream softens the saltiness of the bacon and boosts the sauce’s creaminess.
Chef's tips
Be careful not to overcook the pasta – it’s best to drain it when it’s clearly al dente, as it will cook a bit more in the sauce., Fry the bacon patiently over medium, not high heat: once it starts to sizzle violently and darken quickly, it’s easy to burn it and make it bitter., If, after combining everything, the dish looks too thick and clumped into one mass, add pasta water a tablespoon at a time until the sauce becomes looser and slightly glossy.
How to serve
Serve in warm deep bowls right after mixing, with extra freshly ground pepper and chopped chives or parsley., Pair with kefir, buttermilk or a glass of cold milk to balance the richness and saltiness., For a more substantial dinner, add a simple cucumber and dill salad or a crunchy sauerkraut salad.
Watch out for
- Don’t overcook the pasta – it will soften a bit more after mixing with the cheese.
- If the bacon starts to darken quickly and smoke, lower the heat to avoid a bitter taste.
- Don’t pour in all the pasta water at once – add it tablespoon by tablespoon to control the sauce thickness.
Substitutions
- Use smoked pork jowl or sausage instead of bacon, cutting it into small cubes.
- Replace semi-fat twaróg with full-fat and reduce the cream for a richer, more cheese-forward sauce.
- Swap 18% cream for thick Greek yogurt, adding it after removing the pot from the heat so it doesn’t split.
Ingredients
- pasta spirals or short tubes - 250 g
- semi-fat twaróg - 200 g
- smoked bacon - 100 g
- cream 18% - 50 ml
- onion - 0.5 piece
- oil or clarified butter - 1 tablespoon
- salt -
- pepper black, ground -
Preparation
- Put a large pot of heavily salted water on to boil. When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente – tender but still with a noticeable bite.
- Drain the cooked pasta, reserving 2–3 tablespoons of the cooking water in a cup. Leave the pasta in the warm pot and cover with a lid so it doesn’t cool down or dry out around the edges.
- Cut the bacon into small cubes so it renders faster. If using onion, peel it and finely dice it – the pieces should be similar in size to the bacon.
- Place the bacon in a cold, dry pan and set over medium heat. Fry for 5–7 minutes until the fat has rendered and the cubes are golden and clearly crisp when stirred, not brown and burnt.
- If the bacon is lean, add a tablespoon of oil or clarified butter. Add the onion and fry for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until it softens and lightly colours, and your kitchen smells distinctly of smoke and sweet onion.
- In a bowl, crumble the twaróg with a fork. Add the cream, a pinch of salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper, and mash everything together until the mixture is moist, creamy and free of large dry cheese lumps.
- Add the cheese mixture and 2–3 tablespoons of reserved pasta water to the hot pasta in the pot. Mix vigorously until the cheese coats the pasta evenly and warms through slightly, forming a delicate, glossy sauce.
- Taste and season with more salt or pepper if needed. If the pasta seems too dry and compact, add another 1–2 tablespoons of pasta water or a little cream and mix again – the sauce should just coat the pasta, not form clumps.
- Spoon the bacon and onion cracklings over the hot pasta along with some of the rendered fat. Serve immediately, while the pasta is steaming and the bacon is distinctly crisp when you bite into it.
Storage
Best eaten right away, as the bacon softens and the pasta soaks up the sauce and thickens. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat in a pan with a tablespoon of milk or cream until the sauce turns creamy again and the pasta loosens.
I most often make this pasta when I have some leftover twaróg from making pierogi and no time to roll out more dough. I often fry a double batch of bacon and onion, because the next day all I need to do is cook fresh pasta.
