Krumplis tészta is a gloriously satisfying, cheap and easy Hungarian "homestyle" meal that combines potatoes with onions, pasta and paprika.
This dish is not just easy and cheap to make, it is also pretty quick and it will go from your kitchen cupboard to your table in around 30 minutes.
Hungarian Potato Pasta
When you visit a country you will encounter a range of foods that everyone knows about. Outside of restaurant cuisine, there are a huge number of dishes that are cooked at home that you rarely see for sale commercially.
I spent 13 years living in rural Hungary and have a host of recipes that you will find on the "greatest hits" list. Dishes like Gulyásleves and Csirkepaprikás make appearances on my website.
But I also have a deep love for homestyle dishes that are less commonly found on restaurant menus. Hearty casseroles like rakott krumpli or rakott kaposzta, stews like paprikás krumpli or simple sides dishes like lecsó have a huge hold on my foodie heart.
Krumplis tészta is another of those dishes; it's a cheap dish that combines potato and pasta with onions and paprika. Of course, it has paprika, it's Hungarian!
It's super easy to make! Fry some potatoes in lard until they get a little crispy, then add the onions and sweat them down.
Whilst the pasta is cooking, you mash the spuds a little, stir through a lump of paprika, then mix everything together.
And yes... the name of my website appears in the name of this recipe, my site is named after a colloquial Hungarian term for potatoes. My site is indeed called "spud"!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use lard?
No, but frying potatoes in a hard fat like lard or beef dripping will get you a better texture and flaovur in the dish.
But it is perfectly ok to use oil if you want to, it will also make this dish vegetarian or vegan if you buy egg-free pasta.
What sort of paprika should I use?
If you can get it, you are looking for sweet Hungarian paprika; it seems to be readily available in Polish/central European stores in the UK.
Failing that, regular sweet paprika from the supermarket will do an ok job.
Do not be tempted to use smoked paprika, it's really not a thing in Hungary!
What sort of pasta should I use?
This dish is often made with small pasta squares called kocka. They are very thin and very cheap, and honestly, but they are not my favourite.
You want quite an "open" pasta shape, as there is not a lot of sauce. I have used some Gigli, which not only has an awesome name, but it looks wonderful and plays very well with the textures in this recipe.
If you want something a little more "authentic", head to a Polish store and buy pasta squares called lazanki.
Can I make this in advance?
Our neighbours in Hungary insisted that this dish tastes awesome, warmed up on day two. I found it all a bit mushy and disappointing, although it is a wonderful cold pasta dish!
Serving Suggestions
Like so many Hungarian dishes, krumplis tészta is often served with some pickles on the side. It would typically be larger pickled cucumbers, but I personally like to garnish the dish with lots of finely diced cornichons.
Garlic in this recipe was seen as being controversial in the corner of Hungary that I called home.
As a result, I do not add garlic to this recipe, but garlic baguette on the side works well.
A simply dressed side salad is also a nice idea with this recipe.
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 28cm or 11" frying pan, not nonstick if possible.
- 20cm or 8" saucepan.
- Colander.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Vegetable peeler.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Krumplis Tészta - Hungarian Potato Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Medium-Large Potato 250g
- 30 g Lard 2 Tbsp
- ¼ teaspoon Salt Plus Extra to cook the pasta
- 1 Small Onion 100g
- 75 ml Water ⅓ Cup
- 200 g Pasta Short "Open" Shapes
- 1½ tablespoon Sweet Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Diced Pickles to Serve
Instructions
- Peel the potato, discard the skin and cut the flesh into a 1cm (just under ½") dice.
- Heat a 28cm or 11" frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the lard when the pan is hot, once it has meted toss in the potatoes and half of the salt, then cook until the potatoes are golden, this should take 5-7 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Whilst the potatoes are cooking cut the onion in half, peel it and then cut it into a 5mm (Just under ¼" dice). Add it to the potatoes with the rest of the salt and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the water cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for 12-15 minutes or until the potatoes have softened.
- After the onions and potatoes have been cooking for 5 minutes, cook the pasta in well-salted water (I use 1½ teaspoons of water in a 20cm or 8" saucepan) until it is al dente, then drain reserving a little of the cooking water.
- By now the potatoes should be cooked, remove the pan from the heat (this is important because it well prevent the paprika from burning), then sprinkle over the paprika and black pepper.
- Roughly mash the potatoes with either the back of a fork or with a potato masher.
- Return the pan to a low heat, add the pasta and as much of the cooking water as you need to make a nice coating for the pasta.
- Serve with the diced pickles.
