My comfort foods come in many shapes and sizes, but all share a common trait: they are all meals that I ate as a child. Peanut butter and cheese sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, baked beans… generally some simple, cheap, good stuff. Also on my list are a few of my mother’s Slovak dishes, including her incredible pasta dumplings, which she calls “Halushki.” Interestingly, a Google search for Halushki (as well as one for Haluski) did not return any results resembling the dumplings that I’ve grown up with – generally I found photos of broad, flat egg noodles fried up with cabbage. I’m thinking that somewhere along the way, either the translation was mixed up between my mother and my grandmother, or my grandmother had been making spaetzle while calling it halushki. In any case, it’s always been halushki to me, and it’s the most delicious food that I have ever eaten. I decided that those cabbage people were onto something, so, while I normally eat these with scrambled eggs, I tried it with fried brussels sprouts and golden onions. It did not disappoint. Being of Eastern European descent, cabbage and onions rank high on my list of comfort foods, so combining them with the pasta was a definite win all around!
This is a pretty simple recipe and, unlike other laborious pastas, it comes together in a matter of minutes. My mother has a special “halushki pot” that she uses to press the dumplings through, but a large-holed colander will do just fine. Don’t have that either? Dropping tiny spoonfuls into the water will do just fine. If you like these pasta dumplings, you should also check out my Sweet Potato Gnudi recipe here!
Haluski with Brussels Sprouts and Onions
an original recipe by allison sklar
ingredients
2 cups flour
1/2 cup warm water
2 eggs, beaten
a couple of pinches of salt
2 cups chopped brussels sprouts
1 large red onion, diced
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
cracked black pepper
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp oil (vegetable, canola, sunflower, etc.)
method
Combine flour and salt in large bowl. Make a well in the middle. Add eggs and water. Stir to combine, bringing in flour from the sides. If the dough feels dry, add a little more water, a tbsp at a time.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Using an oiled, large holed collander, press dough holes, letting it drop into water. Alternately, fill a pastry bag with the mixture and pipe out quarter-sized drops at a time, or, drop by small spoonfuls. Once your pasta is in the water, it will start to move around, stir gently a couple of times. Pasta is ready once it floats to the top – about 5 minutes. Drain, toss with a bit of oil, and set aside.
Heat oil in a frying pan. Once it’s hot, return heat to medium and add onions, stirring. Allow them to brown, about 8 to 12 minutes. Add cabbage and stir. Add butter and halushki. Continue cooking another 3 to 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with cracked black pepper and paprika. Enjoy!
