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Túrós Csusza (Hungarian Cottage Cheese Noodles)

Túrós Csusza is a comforting Hungarian dish featuring noodles tossed with cottage or farmer cheese and tangy sour cream, then finished with crispy smoky bacon. It’s quick and easy to make, requiring only 4 ingredients plus seasonings, making it perfect for a weeknight or anytime craving.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 3 servings (or 2 larger ones)
Calories: 613 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Hungarian

Ingredients

  • 140 grams (5 ounces) bacon preferably thick-cut
  • 225 grams (8 ounces) egg noodles, roughly broken lasagna noodles, or roughly broken pappardelle noodles (about 1 to 2-inch pieces)
  • 225 grams (8 ounces / 1 ⅓ cups packed) dry curd cottage cheese or farmer cheese room temperature
  • 100 grams (½ cup) sour cream or more as desired, room temperature
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • paprika to garnish (optional)
  • Sliced scallions or chopped parsley to garnish (optional)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Dice the bacon into about ¼-inch pieces and add to a cold skillet. Turn on the heat to medium and cook bacon, stirring regularly, until the fat renders and the bacon is browned and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the fat in the skillet but turn off the heat.
  2. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the egg noodles or broken pasta and cook to desired doneness (al dente or a bit more tender). Drain.
  3. Turn the skillet of bacon fat back on to medium heat and add the noodles, tossing to coat. Add the cheese, sour cream, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and gently cook the mixture until the cheese starts to soften (you’ll hopefully see some cheese pulls as you mix) and everything is heated through, about 3 minutes.
  4. Transfer to a serving dish or individual plates or bowls. If desired, dollop or drizzle a little extra sour cream over the top. Garnish with the reserved crispy bacon pieces and a sprinkle of paprika and/or chopped scallions or parsley, if desired.

Notes

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you reheat leftover túrós csusza, you may need to add a little more sour cream and water to loosen it back up and return it to a creamy consistency. You can use a microwave or gently reheat in a nonstick skillet on the stovetop.
  • This recipe could serve anywhere from two larger to three more moderate-sized servings depending on how hungry you are. The nutritional information is based on three servings.
  • This dish is usually made with roughly torn pieces of homemade egg noodles. To simplify things, you can make it with dry egg noodles or take dry lasagna noodles or pappardelle pasta and break them roughly into about 1-to-2-inch pieces. I actually used pantacce which is a Tuscan pasta shape with wavy edges that kind of looks and feels like broken up noodles.
  • Túrós csusza is typically made with túró cheese in Hungary, hence the name. This specific cheese is harder to find in other places like the United States, so you can substitute a dry curd cottage cheese or farmer cheese to get similar results.
  • The traditional recipe uses tejföl which is a thick Hungarian-style sour cream, but any sour cream will work. Even a light version will work fine if that’s what you have.
  • In Hungary, they use szalonna which is a Hungarian-style bacon and features more pork fat than pork. You can use any regular bacon, but I like using a thick-cut style since it’s easier to dice and yields more substantial bites.

Nutrition Information

Calories 613kcal (31%) Carbohydrates 67g (22%) Protein 26g (52%) Fat 29g (45%) Saturated Fat 16g (80%) Monounsaturated Fat 2g Cholesterol 53mg (18%) Sodium 307mg (13%) Potassium 42mg (1%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 6g (12%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 3servings (or 2 larger ones)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 613

% Daily Value*

Calories 613kcal 31%
Carbohydrates 67g 22%
Protein 26g 52%
Fat 29g 45%
Saturated Fat 16g 80%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 53mg 18%
Sodium 307mg 13%
Potassium 42mg 1%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 6g 12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.