Beet Pierogies Recipes

BEET GREEN PIEROGI WITH MIXED SUMMER BEETS, BROWN BUTTER SAUCE, AND RICOTTA SALATA

Steps:

• Set a wire rack over a baking sheet. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, return to a boil, and add greens; cook 1 minute. Transfer greens to wire rack to cool. Transfer baking sheet to refrigerator and let greens chill for 20 minutes.
• Gently squeeze greens to remove liquid. Finely chop greens, place in a kitchen towel, and wring out any remaining liquid.
• In a medium bowl, mix together Parmigiano-Reggiano and ricotta cheese. Add greens; season with salt and pepper. Mash filling together using a wooden spoon. Filling should be moist enough to hold together when pressed. Filling can be kept refrigerated, in a covered container, up to 1 day.
• Divide pierogi dough evenly into 4 pieces; wrap in plastic wrap. Sprinkle work surface with flour. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, unwrap dough and roll out to about 1/4 inch thick. Feed dough through the largest setting on a pasta machine. Continue rolling dough through machine, decreasing the opening size each time until dough is about 1/16 inch thick. Place dough on work surface and, using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut circles from dough. Cover circles with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel while repeating process with remaining dough. You should have 12 to 14 circles total.
• Lightly flour a baking sheet; set aside. Place a scant tablespoon of filling just to one side of the center of each circle of dough. Working with one pierogi at a time, brush the edges of the circle with a damp pastry brush. Fold circle in half to enclose filling, pressing sides together firmly so no air is trapped. Seal edges by pressing down with tines of a fork. Transfer pierogi to prepared baking sheet and keep covered until ready to cook. Repeat process with remaining dough and filling.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully add the pierogi, stirring gently so they do not stick to the bottom of the pot. Return to a boil and cook until the dough edge no longer feels stiff when pinched and looks slightly translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pierogi to a kitchen towel to drain.
• Place pierogi, brown butter sauce, and 1 tablespoon parsley in a large skillet; toss to combine. Place skillet over high heat and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.
• Divide beets evenly between 4 plates. Place 3 pierogi on top of beets; spoon over sauce. Garnish with ricotta salata and sprinkle with remaining teaspoon parsley.

BEET PIEROGIES

Steps:

• Place the beets and onion into a saucepan over medium heat; add about 1/2 cup of water, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the beets are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the water from the vegetables, and place into the work bowl of a food processor. Add the margarine, start the machine, and pulse several times to finely chop the beets.
• Whisk together the egg and water until thoroughly mixed, then mix in the flour. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Divide the dough in half, and form each half into a ball. Roll out a ball until it's 1/8 inch thick or less. Using a cup or cookie cutter, cut out dough circles. Repeat with remaining dough.
• To fill, place a dough circle into the palm of your hand, and stretch the dough out slightly. Place about 1 tablespoon of the beet filling in the center of the dough, and fold the dough over the filling. Pinch the edges of the dough together to seal completely, and use your index finger to make small crimped indentations all round the sealed edges. Dust the completed pierogi with flour.
• Fill a large pot with water, and bring to a boil. Drop the pierogies into the water, 1 or 2 at a time, and stir to prevent them from sticking. Reduce heat to a gentle boil, and cook until the pierogies float to the top, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and serve.