Name: Pierogi z Wargowa: Wargowo-Style Potato and Farmer-Cheese Pierogi
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 8 servings, 5 pierogi each
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 400 g all-purpose wheat flour; About 210 ml warm water, added gradually; 700 g floury potatoes, peeled and cut; about 600 g after cooking; 150 g fresh, crumbly twaróg or farmer cheese, drained if moist; 100 g yellow onion, finely diced; 30 g butter; 5 g fine salt; 1 g ground black pepper; 4 L water; 10 g fine salt; 120 g smoked bacon, diced; 100 g yellow onion, finely diced; 10 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Triangular Wargowo pierogi with potato and farmer-cheese filling, bacon, onion and parsley.

Yield 8 servings, 5 pierogi each

Serving basis 5 pierogi with one eighth of the bacon-onion topping, about 185 g cooked

Prep time 30 minutes

Cook time 45 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Recipe at a glance

Pierogi z Wargowa: Wargowo-Style Potato and Farmer-Cheese Pierogi

Pierogi z Wargowa is the name of a Wielkopolska tradition from Wargowo, near Oborniki. The local dish includes several fillings rather than one fixed formula. This recipe focuses on one savory “ruskie” version, with potato, fresh farmer cheese and onion inside a thin, tender wrapper.

The Polish Ministry of Agriculture’s traditional-product entry describes pale, delicate dough folded into small rectangular or triangular pierogi, typically 5–7 cm long and 3–5 cm wide. It records savory fillings such as meat, sauerkraut with mushrooms, and potato with cheese, as well as sweet cheese and fruit versions. In the region, the current dough is made with flour and water; households choose fillings and accompaniments to suit their own recipes.

This measured home batch makes 40 triangular pierogi. Serve five per person, topped with browned bacon and onion and a little parsley. The filling is scaled from a historic Wielkopolska potato-and-cheese recipe; the flour-and-water dough and savory topping follow the local style. Other Wargowo fillings are distinct variations, not included here.

Tips for success

Use fresh, crumbly farmer cheese or twaróg; drain it first if it is moist so the filling stays firm.
Cook the potatoes until completely tender, then drain them well before mashing.
Cool the filling in a shallow layer before shaping; warm filling can soften the dough and make sealing difficult.
Add warm water to the flour gradually. Stop when the dough is smooth, firm and no longer sticky; flour absorption varies.
Cover the dough and cut pieces while you work so their surfaces do not dry out.
Press trapped air from each triangle before sealing its edges to reduce the chance of splitting in the pot.
Cook in batches and stir gently once so the pierogi do not stick to the bottom.

Ingredients

Flour-and-water dough

400 g all-purpose wheat flour
About 210 ml warm water, added gradually

Potato and farmer-cheese filling

700 g floury potatoes, peeled and cut; about 600 g after cooking
150 g fresh, crumbly twaróg or farmer cheese, drained if moist
100 g yellow onion, finely diced
30 g butter
5 g fine salt
1 g ground black pepper

Boiling water

4 L water
10 g fine salt

Bacon and onion topping

120 g smoked bacon, diced
100 g yellow onion, finely diced
10 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Method

Directions

Cook the potatoes.Peel and cut 700 g potatoes into even 2–3 cm pieces. Put them in a 4 L pot and cover with cold water by about 3 cm. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15–20 minutes until a fork slides through easily. Drain thoroughly and mash until smooth.
Make and cool the filling.While the potatoes cook, melt 30 g butter in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add 100 g filling onion and cook for 6–8 minutes until soft and translucent, not browned. Mix it with the hot mashed potato, 150 g crumbled farmer cheese, 5 g salt and 1 g pepper. Spread the filling in a shallow container and cool promptly. Refrigerate at or below 4 °C if it will wait more than 2 hours.
Mix and rest the dough.Put 400 g flour in a large bowl. Gradually pour in about 210 ml warm water while mixing, stopping when the dough is firm, smooth and no longer sticky; the exact amount can vary slightly with the flour. Knead for 6–8 minutes until elastic and even. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
Cook the topping.Put 120 g diced bacon in a cool frying pan and set it over medium-low heat. Cook for 8–10 minutes until the fat renders and the bacon is lightly browned. Add 100 g topping onion and cook for 5–7 minutes until soft and golden. Keep warm; stir in the parsley just before serving.
Roll and cut.Divide the dough into 4 pieces and keep the unused portions covered. Roll one portion on a lightly floured surface to about 1 mm thick. Cut 7 cm squares, rerolling the scraps once. Keep the cut pieces covered so their edges do not dry.
Fill and seal.Place about 20–22 g cold filling in the center of each square. Fold one corner to the opposite corner to make a triangle. Press out trapped air, then firmly seal the edges with your fingertips; if an edge has dried, moisten it with a little water. Arrange the pierogi on a lightly floured tray and repeat to make 40.
Boil in batches.Bring 4 L water and 10 g salt to a boil in a wide 6 L pot. Cook 10 pierogi at a time, stirring gently once to prevent sticking. When they float and the water returns to a gentle boil, cook for 3 minutes. Cut one open: the filling should be hot and the dough cooked through but tender. Lift the batch out with a slotted spoon and keep warm while the remaining batches cook.
Serve.Serve five hot pierogi per person with an even share of the bacon-onion topping and parsley. The topping is included in the recipe yield and nutrition estimate.

Nutrition and allergens

Energyabout 390 kcal per serving
Proteinabout 15 g
Fatabout 11 g
Carbohydrateabout 56 g
Fibreabout 3 g
Sodiumabout 590 mg
Estimate basisone eighth of the flour, cooked potatoes, fresh cheese, onions, butter, bacon, parsley and filling salt; excludes most salt from the boiling water; actual values vary by cheese and bacon brand

Contains wheat (gluten) and milk. Check the cheese and bacon labels for additional ingredients and cross-contact information. Keep fresh cheese and prepared filling refrigerated at or below 4 °C until use. Wash potatoes before peeling, use clean utensils and keep ready-to-eat food separate from raw ingredients. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and reheat them to 74 °C throughout.

Nutrition and allergens

Serving, storage and reheating: Serve the pierogi hot, just after cooking. Their delicate dough pairs with the potato and fresh-cheese filling; the browned bacon and onion add the savory finish described for regional pierogi. Keep the batch covered and warm while cooking successive portions.

Serving, storage and reheating: Cool leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Store at 4 °C or colder and use within 3–4 days. Reheat only the portion you need in gently simmering water or covered steam until the center reaches 74 °C throughout. Do not leave cooked potatoes, filling or finished pierogi at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Serving, storage and reheating: Make ahead: prepare the filling earlier the same day, cool it in a shallow container and refrigerate at or below 4 °C. The dough can rest while the filling cools; for easiest shaping, fill and seal the pierogi shortly before boiling. Keep unused dough and shaped pierogi covered so they do not dry out.

Pierogi z Wargowa: Wargowo-Style Potato and Farmer-Cheese Pierogi

Tips for success

Ingredients

Flour-and-water dough

Potato and farmer-cheese filling

Boiling water

Bacon and onion topping

Method

Nutrition and allergens

Nutrition and allergens

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