Cheese kreplach are mouthwatering cheese-filled pasta dumplings, fried in butter and served with sour cream. Here’s a simple hack to save yourself hours of effort making the kreplach from scratch!
Cheese kreplach. Oh, how I love those crispy cheese-stuffed pasta pillows, drenched in melted butter, and maybe a few grinds of black pepper. Yum.
But I’ve been unable to make them since about 1988. Let me explain…
Teenage trauma, with dairy products…
Teenage me attended a local girls’ school, where among other things we learned cookery. Having spent a term studying ‘cheese’ and the many ways it could be used, our exam was simply to make a dish – any dish – that used cheese. Simple, right?
But of course I couldn’t just make cheese on toast and pass the exam. Oh no. I decided, after hours spent reading the recipe books of my ancestors, to make cheese kreplach. Despite never having made them in my life before.
Did I mention that this was an exam? And there was a time limit?
The great cheese kreplach disaster
Uuuugh. The pasta dough wouldn’t behave. It took way longer than I thought to knead it and roll it out. I couldn’t get it thin enough. Filling the kreplach took ages. Inexperienced me didn’t get all of the air out of each one, so some of them (many of them) burst in the pan when I boiled them. I didn’t have time to drain them properly, so they were wet and soggy. In the end, I just scooped the kreplach from the hot water straight into a plate of melted butter. I had no garnish.
As the exam came to an end, a stressed-out and red-faced me presented the examiner with a plate of drab-looking pasta, in a pool of warm cloudy water, with blobs of melted butter floating on the surface. Not my finest culinary experience.
She must have taken pity on me, because I passed the exam. But I’ve never made cheese kreplach from scratch again. Never.
Cheese kreplach redemption! A quick & easy kreplach hack!
Fortunately, I now have a quick and easy hack to enjoy something almost as good as a homemade, buttery, peppery cheese kreplach without any of the humiliating memories. Read on to find out more…
Holiday dinner
Many years after the cheesy exam disaster experience, I was on holiday in the USA with DH. We were sitting out on a sunny deck in California one warm evening, sipping local wine and generally having a great time.
To soak up some of the chardonnay, we ordered some snacks, including “crispy ravioli”.
What arrived at our table was a sizzling cast iron skillet, in which cheesy stuffed pasta had been fried in copious volumes of butter and garlic. Fresh black pepper was ground over the top. Each bite was crispy, buttery, gooey and cheesy, and absolutely divine.
Basically, it was Californian cheese kreplach!
Fried stuffed pasta at home
Naturally, when we returned from our holiday, I had to have a go at recreating these delicious morsels. As I made the crispy ravioli at home, I realised that what I was doing was simply the last part of the cheese kreplach recipe. Except that this time, the cheesy pasta parcels didn’t explode and were adequately drained. I had time to heat them properly in the butter, and get them gorgeously crisp and golden. And I was much less stressed about the whole thing!
A few grinds of pepper and a sprinkle of herbs. Buttery, cheesy pasta heaven.
What are kreplach, anyway?
Kreplach are Ashkenazi Jewish stuffed pasta dumplings. They are most often stuffed with a meat mixture, and served in chicken soup, alongside knaidlach (matza balls), lokshen (noodles), slices of carrot etc.
There is also a dairy version which is filled with cheese. These are the delights I tried, unsuccessfully, to make in my exam. Rather than being served in soup, cheese kreplach come fried in butter and served with sour cream, black pepper, and sometimes caramelised onions. Yum!
Kreplach are typically triangular in shape, made from a square of pasta dough folded over along a diagonal and sealed around the two edges.
Kreplach vs. ravioli – stuffed pasta dumplings
It’s fair to say that cheesy ravioli or other stuffed pasta types are not a million miles away from cheese kreplach. Kreplach, ravioli, tortelloni, and even Japanese gyoza, Tibetan momo, and Chinese dim sum dumplings all share common features – an outer layer of thinly-rolled dough enclosing a tasty filling.
The main difference between these various dumplings is their shape. While kreplach are traditionally triangular, ravioli are square, and tortelloni and others are made by folding and sealing a square or circle of dough before pinching the corners together. Italians do make some triangular stuffed pasta however – look out for pansotti and triangoli, the former of which is often made with a cheesy filling.
Ready made cheese-filled pasta
While ready-made cheese kreplach aren’t a supermarket staple, Italian food is extremely popular and widely available. This means that finding ready-made cheese-filled dumplings to stand-in for homemade cheese kreplach is very easy!
Choose a four-cheese filling, mozzarella and tomato, or spinach and ricotta. Or, if you’re following a vegan or dairy-free diet, pick a suitable vegetable-filled pasta for a vegan kreplach experience.
Kosher shops in the UK stock a variety of fresh pasta shapes. The Gusto Buono range includes four cheese, spinach and ricotta, and ricotta and mushroom ravioli, among others. (They don’t sponsor me, sadly. I just thought this might be helpful information.)
Ingredients to make cheat’s cheese kreplach
To make these almost kreplach, which are ready in a fraction of the time of making cheese kreplach from scratch, you will need:
- Ready-made cheese-filled (or vegan) pasta dumplings.
- Butter, or use a non-dairy alternative or good olive oil if you are vegan.
- Garlic – optional but so tasty!
- Sour cream, yogurt, or a non-dairy alternative such as soya or oat yogurt – absolutely delicious although sadly, missing from the photos. I’d just eaten the plate of kreplach you see here, and I opened the fridge to see the pot of sour cream looking back at me. Oops! So, totally optional and I can say with certainty that they’re really yummy without it too!
- Freshly ground black pepper.
- Freshly chopped parsley, basil, or other soft herbs to garnish – optional.
Some people also enjoy caramelised onions on their cheese kreplach. I love caramelised onions but for some reason they just don’t do it for me here. But if you like them, go for it! Spoon some over your sour cream and tuck in!
When to eat kreplach
Cheese kreplach, like other traditional dairy foods, are often eaten on Shavuot and Chanukah. Because these little dumplings hide their filling beneath a layer of pasta, they are also sometimes eaten on Purim, because of the association with concealment and disguise! Like hamantaschen, the three-cornered shape may also be said to represent villainous Haman’s hat.
Traditional kreplach were typically saved for special occasions, since they were time and labour intensive to make. However, since these cheat’s cheese kreplach are quick and simple, you can enjoy them as often as you like!
What to serve with cheese kreplach?
These delicious crispy cheese dumplings make a wonderful starter for a dairy meal. Serve three or four per person, garnished with parsley, pepper and soured cream.
If you’d like to serve the cheese kreplach as a main dish, I recommend something light such as a leafy salad or some steamed greens alongside. The kreplach are quite rich and buttery, so something fresh and crunchy is a welcome addition.
How to make cheat’s cheese kreplach
Unlike ‘real’ cheese kreplach, which are labour and time intensive to make, this cheat’s version is super quick and easy – hooray!
- First, cook the pasta in boiling water according to the instructions on the package. The drain very well and spread out on kitchen paper or a clean tea towel to absorb as much water as possible.
- Heat the butter in a skillet until foamy.
- Add the garlic and then the dumplings. Don’t overcrowd the pan – you want a single layer, although it doesn’t matter if they touch. Turn the kreplach over, then allow them to fry for a minute or two until crispy and golden.
- Drain briefly on absorbent paper, then scoop the crispy cheese kreplach onto a plate, add a dollop of sour cream (optional), chopped herbs and a good grind of black pepper. Serve straightaway and enjoy!
- Add more butter to the pan and repeat the frying in batches, until all the pasta is used up.
Top tips and FAQ
- Are these kreplach suitable for vegans?
Obviously if you use a cheese-filled pasta dumpling, and real dairy butter, these kreplach will not be suitable for vegans. However, it’s simple to substitute vegan ravioli and use olive oil instead of the butter. Then this dish is completely suitable for a vegan or dairy-free diet. - Can I make these for a gluten-free diet?
The pasta dumplings will usually be made with wheat flour, and therefore not suitable for celiacs or those on a gluten-free diet. However, if you can obtain gluten-free filled-pasta, you can use these in the recipe to create a delicious gluten-free version of the dish. - Can these cheat’s cheese kreplach be made ahead?
These crispy cheese kreplach are best eaten as soon as they are made. They emerge from the frying pan crispy and delicious, however as they cool they can become chewy and less nice. I recommend making them and eating them straightaway. - How many people does this recipe serve?
This recipe uses 500g of filled pasta, which is enough to make four generous main course servings of kreplach – around 8-9 dumplings per person. If you are serving the cheese kreplach as a starter, I suggest 3-4 per person, in which case this quantity will make around 8-10 portions.
A* for my cheat’s cheese kreplach!
While my teenage adventure in from-scratch kreplach may not have been a huge success, I’m sure the examiner would have given me an A* for this version! Buttery, crispy, cheese-filled pasta is heaven on a plate.
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Cheat’s cheese kreplach – crispy fried ravioli
Ingredients
- 500 g cheese filled pasta eg ravioli, triangoli etc.
- 100 g butter (or use olive oil)
- 1 small garlic clove, finely sliced
- chopped parsley or other soft herbs (optional)
- freshly ground black pepper (optional)
- sour cream (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the filled pasta in boiling water according to the packet instructions. Drain well in a colander and then lay on kitchen paper to absorb any additional excess water.
- Heat about a quarter of the butter in a small skillet or frying pan until foaming. Add a little of the garlic and just enough 'kreplach' (whatever stuffed pasta you are using) to make a single layer.
- Cook for a minute or two, then turn over and cook the other side. They should be golden brown and crisp.
- Remove from the pan and drain briefly on paper towels. Add more butter and garlic to the pan, and cook the remaining kreplach in batches in the same way.
- Serve the crispy cheese kreplach hot, sprinkled with parsley, black pepper, and with a dollop of sour cream on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
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Casey
These were so good on their own and didn’t even need the sour cream. That was just one more layer of deliciousness!
Helen
Thanks Casey! Yes, I forgot the sour cream and didn’t miss it at all. Totally optional and they’re delicious either way.
Chenee
I’ve never thought about frying ravioli before, but it looks so good! I’ll definitely be trying this one soon!
Helen
Thanks Chenee – I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.
Kim
Cheese, pasta, garlic, and butter…how can you go wrong? This looks amazing.
Helen
Thanks Kim! They really are totally delicious 🙂
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
I’ve never fries pasta before and this looks so crispy and perfect ofr a hot snack.
Helen
You should definitely try it! Crispy, buttery, savoury… so good!
Katherine
Loved the story of your teenage kreplach disaster! Your recipe with premade ravioli sounds so easy and tasty though!
Helen
Thanks Katherine – it’s quite cathartic to get it off my chest 😂
The cheat’s recipe is so much easier! I’m glad you enjoyed it.