If you love bigos but don't have three hours to spare, łazanki is the answer. This traditional Polish dish tosses small squares of pasta with fried sauerkraut, cabbage, onions and smoky kielbasa. It has all the tangy, savoury flavour of a slow-cooked stew but is ready in about 35 minutes – perfect for autumn weeknights.
What is łazanki?
Łazanki are small square noodles, and the name is also used for the finished dish. They are especially popular in eastern Poland and are often made with leftover sauerkraut and sausage. If you can't find łazanki pasta, simply break lasagne sheets into squares – it works perfectly.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 300g Barilla Lasagne Sheets, broken into 3cm squares
- 500g sauerkraut – Rolnik Sauerkraut 900g or Rolnik Sauerkraut with Carrot
- ¼ white cabbage, finely shredded (optional)
- 350g Polish smoked sausage – try Sokołów Brocka Sausage
- 2 onions, sliced
- 1 jar Familex Sliced Mushrooms, drained (optional)
- 1 tsp Cosmin Caraway
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- 2 tbsp butter or lard
- Salt, black pepper and fresh dill or parsley
How to make łazanki
- Cook the sauerkraut. Roughly chop the sauerkraut (rinse first if very sour). Simmer with the shredded cabbage, bay leaves and a splash of water for 15–20 minutes until soft.
- Fry the sausage and onion. Meanwhile, fry the sliced kielbasa in butter until browned. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until golden and soft.
- Cook the pasta. Boil the pasta squares in salted water until al dente, then drain.
- Bring it together. Add the drained sauerkraut to the sausage pan with the caraway and paprika. Fry for 5 minutes, then toss through the pasta.
- Season and serve. Season generously with black pepper and finish with chopped dill or parsley.
Tips
- Let it catch: leave the pan alone for a minute or two at the end so the sauerkraut and pasta crisp slightly – that's where the flavour is.
- Go vegetarian: skip the sausage, double the mushrooms and add a pinch of smoked paprika.
- Use leftovers: łazanki is a brilliant way to use up leftover bigos.
Łazanki FAQs
Can I use other pasta?
Yes – farfalle, egg noodles or broken tagliatelle all work well.
Is łazanki the same as haluski?
They are close cousins. Haluski usually uses fresh cabbage and egg noodles, while łazanki traditionally combines sauerkraut with square pasta.
Shop the recipe: sauerkraut, Polish sausage and spices are all available in our online Polish food shop, delivered across the UK.