TL;DR
- 507 kcal · 34.5 g protein per serving
- Ready in 45 min · serves 3
- High-protein
Túrós csusza is one of those dishes that quietly defines Hungarian home cooking: humble, deeply satisfying, and built on a handful of pantry staples that come together in less than half an hour. At its heart, it's a tangle of wide egg noodles (csusza literally refers to the hand-cut or torn pasta shape), tossed while still warm with túró — a fresh, crumbly curd cheese that sits somewhere between ricotta and farmer's cheese — and finished with a sizzle of smoked bacon and a spoonful of sour cream. The result is creamy, tangy, salty, and faintly smoky, with a texture that's both comforting and surprisingly light.
Unlike many Hungarian dishes that lean on heavy roux-based sauces, túrós csusza is a study in restraint. The cheese does the work of coating the noodles, and the bacon provides the fat and salt, so there's no butter or cream to weigh things down. That simplicity makes it an excellent candidate for calorie tracking: portions are easy to eyeball (a heaping bowl of pasta, a visible dusting of cheese, a modest scattering of bacon), and the protein content is genuinely respectable — the curd cheese and bacon together give you a solid, satiating meal that won't leave you hunting for snacks an hour later. It's also naturally gluten-free if you swap the egg noodles for a gluten-free pasta, though the traditional version uses wheat-based noodles.
A few practical notes before you start. First, túró can be hard to find outside Hungary (and neighboring regions); the closest substitutes are ricotta (drained overnight for a drier texture), quark, or a well-drained cottage cheese blended briefly until smooth. If you use ricotta, add a pinch of salt — it's milder than túró. Second, don't skip the step of frying the bacon until deeply crisp and letting the rendered fat coat the noodles; that smoky fat is what carries the whole dish. Finally, if you're meal-prepping, keep the bacon and cheese separate from the noodles until serving, and reheat gently with a splash of milk to bring back the creamy texture. This is a dish that rewards simplicity — resist the urge to add garlic or herbs; the trio of cheese, bacon, and sour cream is perfect as is.
Ingredients — For 3 servings
- 250 g wide egg noodles (csusza or pappardelle, broken into 4-5 cm pieces) (if using fresh pasta, reduce cooking time) 250 g
- 200 g túró (Hungarian curd cheese) (substitute: drained ricotta or quark) 200 g
- 120 g smoked bacon, sliced into 1 cm lardons (use a meaty bacon; trim excess fat) 120 g
- 100 g sour cream (20% fat) (full-fat preferred) 100 g
- 1 tsp fine salt (for the pasta water, plus more to taste) 6 g
- 1 tbsp neutral oil (sunflower or rapeseed) (only if bacon is lean; otherwise omit) 14 g
- 0.5 tsp black pepper, freshly ground (to taste) 1 g
Nutrition per serving
507 kcal
| Protein | 34.5 g |
|---|---|
| Carbohydrates | 5.2 g |
| of which sugars | 3.5 g |
| Fat | 38.1 g |
| of which saturates | 14.2 g |
| Fiber | 0.1 g |
| Sodium | 1621 mg |
Nutrition computed from USDA FoodData Central per-ingredient data (curated reference table, engine/systems/recipe/data/ingredient_nutrition_db.json). 7 of 7 ingredients use a model-estimated figure pending live FDC verification (flagged in the source table).
Instructions
-
Bring a large pot of salted water (about 3-4 liters with the 1 tsp salt) to a rolling boil.
-
Meanwhile, place the bacon lardons in a cold, dry skillet. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the bacon turns deep golden and crisp, about 6-8 minutes. If the bacon is very lean and sticking to the pan, add the oil halfway through. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate, but leave the rendered fat in the pan. Turn off the heat.
~8 min -
Add the egg noodles to the boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente (typically 5-7 minutes for dried, 2-3 for fresh). Drain well but do not rinse — you want the starch to help the cheese adhere.
~7 min -
Return the drained noodles to the hot pot (off the heat). Add the túró in crumbles and the sour cream. Toss vigorously with two forks or tongs until the cheese melts slightly and coats every noodle — the mixture should look creamy but not soupy. Season with black pepper and a pinch of salt if needed (remember the bacon is salty).
~2 min -
Reheat the bacon fat in the skillet over medium-high heat for 30 seconds, then add the reserved crispy bacon back in to warm through, about 1 minute.
~1 min -
Serve the noodles in shallow bowls, topped with the crispy bacon and a final drizzle of any remaining bacon fat from the pan (about 1 teaspoon per bowl). Serve immediately — the dish thickens as it cools.
Track Túrós Csusza (Pasta with Curd Cheese and Bacon) in Kaloria
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Get Kaloria freeFrequently asked questions
Can I make this ahead of time and reheat it?
Yes, but store the components separately. Keep the dressed noodles, bacon, and sour cream in separate containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, warm the noodles gently in a skillet with a splash of milk or water to loosen the cheese, then add the bacon and a fresh dollop of sour cream.
What if I can't find túró at my local store?
The closest substitutes are drained ricotta (place it in a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl for 4-6 hours to remove excess whey) or quark. A well-drained cottage cheese blended until smooth also works. If using ricotta, add an extra pinch of salt to mimic túró's tangier, saltier profile.
Why do you cook the bacon in a cold pan?
Starting bacon in a cold skillet allows the fat to render slowly and evenly, producing crisp pieces without burning the exterior while leaving the inside undercooked. If you drop bacon into a hot pan, the outside seizes and the fat doesn't render properly, leaving you with chewy, greasy bits.
Can I use a different pasta shape?
Absolutely — any wide, flat noodle works well, such as pappardelle, tagliatelle, or even fettuccine. The key is using something with enough surface area to catch the cheese and bacon. Avoid thin spaghetti or angel hair, which will end up clumpy rather than creamy.
Is this dish spicy? Can I add heat?
Traditionally, túrós csusza is not spicy at all — it's mild, creamy, and salty. If you want a gentle kick, sprinkle a pinch of Hungarian hot paprika (or regular red pepper flakes) over the top before serving. A few drops of hot sauce also work, but keep it light so the cheese flavor stays prominent.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central — Nutrition panel computed from USDA FoodData Central per-ingredient data via a curated reference table.