Pan fried farfalle pasta, butter-caramelized onions, and tangy sauerkraut are all you need to relax and satisfy your soul in this delicious eastern European comfort food.
This Polish Haluski doesn’t look like much, does it?
It almost looks like a poor man’s dinner. Some pasta, something resembling onions, and a bit of green to liven up an otherwise boring looking dish.
Trust me…it’s so much more than that. These pan-fried noodles and sauerkraut were one of Nana’s favorite (and signature) side dishes, and it’s only fitting to share them with you for this week’s Sunday Supper, while we celebrate Moms (and Nanas) everywhere.
Of all the things my Nana used to cook when I was a child, this Polish Haluski was the one that I requested the most.
It wasn’t until I reached adulthood that I truly appreciated this wonderfully simple comfort food. Maybe I love it more now because she’s been gone over a decade. I feel like she’s still around with every bite.
To be honest, I don’t really have a clear memory of how she used to make this. I remember ingredients, and how good this stuff tastes fried up in butter the second day.
Oh, it’s pure heaven when it’s all crispy.
It is, of course, perfection straight from the stove top the same day, too.
And the best part? It takes very few ingredients to make, most of which you likely have in your house.
If you’re Polish, you might even have the sauerkraut. In which case, I salute you, kinsman. We like our hot dogs with sauerkraut in the Crumby house, so it’s very rare that there isn’t a bag of Sabrett or Krrrrisp Kraut in our fridge.
Here’s the scoop on Haluski:
Melt A LOT of butter in a big pot or dutch oven. The more the better, really. I guess you don’t have to use a whole stick if you’re thinking healthier, but more butter means lots of flavor in the case of this recipe.
Once you’ve got your butter melted, sauté a crapton of onions. I used some wonderful Georgia Vidalias that I received as part of a blogger event, and they were just perfect for this recipe. Slightly sweet, and they didn’t make me cry. Always a plus.
After what feels like forever, but is only a half hour or so, you’ll have some perfectly caramelized buttered onions, and you can toss in your equally perfectly boiled bowtie pasta. If you do research on this recipe, you’ll see it’s usually made with egg noodles. That’s all well and good, but I had to stay true to Nana – and she always used the bowties.
Add in your sauerkraut (don’t drain it all, though! Use that juice!), warm it all up, sprinkle in a few dashes of salt and pepper, and you’re done!
Haluski is a great vegetarian side dish for any meal (it’s eaten a lot during Lent,) but if you’re looking to turn it into a meal…
May I suggest lots and lots of fresh kielbasa? And maybe some bacon. Yeah, bacon.
Polish Haluski (Pan Fried Noodles & Sauerkraut)
Ingredients
- 2 small onions thinly sliced into rounds
- 8 ounces unsalted butter
- 12 oz. farfalle bowtie pasta
- 16 oz. sauerkraut
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Chives optional
Instructions
- Melt butter in a dutch oven set over low heat. Add sliced onions; saute for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning while the onions caramelize.
- While onions are cooking, follow box directions and boil farfalle pasta. Drain, rinse and set aside.
- When butter is nearly gone, add pasta and toss. Cook for 4-5 minutes, then stir in sauerkraut, allowing everything to come to a uniform temperature. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Transfer haluski to a serving dish. Sprinkle additional black pepper on top and garnish with chopped chives if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
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Liz says
I would have never thought to pair pasta and sauerkraut, but it looks both delicious and comforting!
Constance Smith | Cosmopolitan Cornbread says
This looks so good!!
Kimberlie Robert says
Sauerkraut? What a beautiful idea. I think I’d like this too. And yes, crispy pasta the next day is the ultimate in comfort. Nice post.
Lynn says
My mom made something similar to this when I was very young..
I haven’t thought of her “fried noodles” until now.
Thanks for the memory:)
Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
Hezzi-D says
My grandma used to make Haluski and I loved it. I haven’t had it in years! Yours looks delicious.
Lynne Webb says
This recipe is very similar to the Hungarian Cabbage Noodles I make only with sauerkraut instead of green cabbage. I definitely have to give the Polish version a try. I think the chives are a great addition too.
Kristen @A Mind Full MOm says
I love how a dish can nearly bring someone back to life because the memories are so strong <3
Sarah Reid, CNP (@jo_jo_ba) says
Haven’t had this in YEARS, and never with sauerkraut, only shredded Savoy cabbage. This sounds delicious!
Meaghan says
Pasta and sauerkraut?! What a combo! Lady you are speaking my language. I’ve not tried it before but can not wait!!! Loving participating in #SundaySupper and getting all these great recipe ideas 🙂
PS I’m also believer that a hot dog isn’t complete without sauerkraut
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm says
We love haluski but I have always made it with fresh cabbage. I will have to try this sauerkraut version. Thanks.
monica says
You sold me – I’m making a pot of this and having it for lunch this week!
maria says
Pasta… the ultimate comfort food… and with sauerkraut! Sounds like a great combo. Thanks for sharing 🙂
anne says
I love sauer kraut and combining it with pasta? sounds yummy!
Rosemary Muldowney says
Not a big saurkraut fan – made rice noodles substitution for glutin free…..Magnificent. Thanks.
Sauerkraut Billy says
This looks absolutely delicious! This is an interesting recipe I’ve never tried before! I’ve tried a bunch of different dinner dishes with sauerkraut, but none including noodles! Thanks so much for sharing, can’t wait to try this at home!
Jane Saundera says
Oh, this was so delicious! It definitely brought back memories for me. I was concerned that the sauerkraut was going to be too strong since you didn’t say to rinse it. I was pleasantly surprised that it blended in perfectly. Soooooo tasty. Thank you!
Sandy says
When do you ad the sauerkraut? Not in directions. 🤔
Sandy says
So weird… Went back and read again and it was there. Sorry 🤣
Samantha says
Do you think it would work to make this the night before and put it in a warm oven the next day to serve at a potluck?
Erica says
Hi Samantha! It absolutely will work as a make-ahead dish! It’s actually even better the next day, since the sauerkraut has had time to infuse flavors with the pasta. My fave way to eat this is actually to pan fry leftovers – crispy deliciousness! Enjoy!
Bruce says
My mom always made it with the same pasta dough that she made her periogies from, both at Christmas and during lent (on Fridays). Just making Christmas periogies today and made some extra noodles to make this for my wife and daughter to try. Great meal and great memories!
Grzegorz says
Kluski. Haluski is cabbage not sauerkraut.
Erica says
Not to argue, but kluski is actually a Polish dumpling. Also, sauerkraut IS fermented cabbage, this is the way my Nana made it and what she called it. Not every recipe needs to be the same, especially one that has variations in multiple countries. Cheers!
A Polish cook says
Haluski – they are dumplings! In 2013 kluski Haluski (Haluski dumplings) were placed in the list of Polish traditional dishes (www.gov.pl/web/rolnictwo/kluski-haluski). Your Nana probably mixed two names: Haluski and Lazanki. Haluski are dumplings, and Lazanki are pasta (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazanki), most often square in shape or bowtie. I can confirm that the sentence in the wikipedia is true: “In Poland, they are commonly mixed with fried cabbage or with soured cabbage and small pieces of sausage, meat and/or mushrooms”. So the name of your dish should be: Polish Lazanki, because Haluski are something else in Poland.
Sandie7 says
This is such a good comfort dish! One thing we did differently was to rinse the sauerkraut and since we mixed it all together on our plates anyway, mom starrted just putting the browned, sliced keilbasa right in. Thanks for the memory!
BeataR says
The recipe does not describe Polish haluski (prenounced as how-oos-ky). I am Polish and live in Poland. Real Polish ones consist of potato dumplings, onion and sauerkraut (sometimes cabbage in the middle of the cabbage season). No noodles!!! The pasta version (described in the recipe) was invented in the United States, but it is not Polish. Eastern Europe immigrants coined the name: haluski (not Polish) for a similar dish with egg noodles. Each country has its own haluski. Slovakia, for instance, has Slovakian haluszky with sheep cottage cheese. Polish haluski MUST HAVE potato dumplings instead of pasta. However, your dish is surely delicious, but the name is wrong (should be: American haluski).
Mike says
I made this recipe and enjoyed the flavor, but it was too laden with butter.
Next time I would use 1/2 the butter and add more sauerkraut….
can says
This is such a good comfort dish! One thing we did differently was to rinse the sauerkraut and since we mixed it all together on our plates anyway, mom started just putting the browned, sliced keilbasa right in. Thanks for sharing this!
Julie says
My mother made this, but she used both sauerkraut and cabbage (of course the egg noodles also). I would sometimes grab a fork before going to bed and go to the fridge for another bite . Yum!!!