National Dish Belarus: Lazenki (Recipe)
In this article
Lazenki is farmhouse cooking with three ingredients that every Belarusian household had: flour, cabbage and bacon. Squares of egg pasta are boiled, then tossed with cabbage braised soft in bacon fat with onion. It is heavy, cheap and entirely satisfying on a cold day.
About Lazenki
Lazenki are the hearty pasta squares of Belarus. Small squares of simple egg dough are combined with crisply rendered bacon, braised white cabbage and onions into a warming, substantial dish. This farmhouse speciality has stood for generations for the plain, filling home cooking of Belarus, the sort of food made from what the cellar held in February.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 150 g plain flour
- 1 egg
- A pinch of salt
- 2–3 tablespoons water, as needed
- 100 g smoked bacon, diced
- 200 g white cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 onion, diced
- Salt, pepper and a little butter
Shopping for the ingredients
Smoked streaky bacon or speck gives the fat and flavour that carry the dish. White cabbage is what is used, though pointed cabbage cooks faster and is sweeter. Nothing here is expensive, which is entirely the point.
Preparing the dish
Make the dough and let it rest, which makes rolling far easier. Roll it thin and cut it into squares of two or three centimetres, irregular is fine and traditional. Shred the cabbage finely so it braises down quickly.
Step-by-step instructions
- Mix the flour, egg, salt and just enough water into a firm dough; rest 30 minutes.
- Roll out thinly and cut into squares of 2–3 cm.
- Render the diced bacon in a wide pan until crisp; lift out and reserve.
- Fry the onion in the bacon fat for 6 minutes until golden.
- Add the shredded cabbage and a splash of water; cover and braise for 15 minutes until soft.
- Meanwhile, boil the pasta squares in salted water for 3–4 minutes until they float.
- Drain and add to the cabbage with a knob of butter.
- Return the bacon, season generously with salt and pepper and serve hot.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
Use a gluten-free pasta dough or a good gluten-free short pasta. The dish is naturally lactose-free if you omit the butter and rely on the bacon fat, which is how it was originally made.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
Leave out the bacon and fry the onion in oil with a teaspoon of smoked paprika for depth. The cabbage and pasta carry the dish, and a vegan version is genuinely good, mushrooms added with the cabbage restore some of the savouriness.
More tips and tricks
Render the bacon slowly so the fat comes out and the pieces crisp rather than burn. Braise the cabbage properly soft; half-cooked cabbage is not what this dish wants. And season firmly at the end, since flour and cabbage both absorb a great deal of salt.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
Sauerkraut in place of some of the fresh cabbage adds acidity and is common. Caraway seed is very much in keeping. Sour cream stirred in at the end enriches it considerably.
Ingredient substitutions
Any small square or short pasta works if you would rather not make dough. Pancetta substitutes for bacon. Savoy cabbage gives a softer result.
Drink pairing ideas
Kvass is the traditional Belarusian accompaniment. A cold beer suits the bacon and cabbage well. Herbal tea afterwards is standard.
Serving and presentation ideas
Serve lazenki hot in deep bowls, with sour cream and dill on the table and pickles alongside. It is plain, unadorned food and looks it, which is exactly right for what it is.
A bit of history
Belarusian cooking is built on potatoes, rye, cabbage and pork, and its dishes reflect a long history of making a great deal from very little. Pasta-and-cabbage combinations appear across eastern Europe under many names, always as peasant food and always as winter food. It offers a genuine window onto Belarusian cuisine.
More recipe ideas
Summary: Lazenki
Lazenki is squares of egg pasta tossed with cabbage braised in bacon fat with onion. Render the bacon slowly, braise the cabbage properly soft, and season it firmly.
