These cheesy, herby pierogis are so delicious! Drizzled with a buttery red wine sauce and topped with crispy sage, they make the most delightful side or main dish.
Heat the oil or butter in a large skillet over low/medium heat. When the oil begins to shimmer or the butter begins to bubble slightly, add the onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir and cook on low to low/medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and caramel brown in color, about 10 to 15 minutes. This process can take some time, but it is worth it to get those slightly sweet, caramelized onions.
Add the garlic and minced sage. Stir and cook just until fragrant, about 30 to 60 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Stir everything, except for the water, together. Add the water, 1 tsp. at a time, just until the dough comes together. Knead 100 times. Cover the dough until ready to use.
Once you’re ready to make the pierogies, roll out the dough until it is fairly thin and cut into circles that are about 3 ½ inches in diameter (I used a red solo cup). Place 1 heaping tsp. of the onion mixture and 1 Tbsp. of the cheese in the middle of the circle, leaving about ½-inch of space around the edge. Carefully fold the circle in half, over the filling, to create a half-moon shape. Pinch the edges together until they are sealed.
Fill a medium to large saucepan about half-way with water and bring to a boil. While the water is boiling on one burner, add 2 Tbsp. butter to a large, deep skillet on another burner and heat over medium/high heat – This is to pan fry the pierogies after you remove them from the boiling water.
Once the water is boiling, add three or four pierogies and cook until they float to the top – You’ll want to give them enough space in the water so that they don’t stick together. Carefully remove the pierogies, using a slotted spoon, add to the hot skillet and cook 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. At this point, you can also add the thinly sliced sage leaves to the skillet and cook in the butter until crispy.
Remove the sage with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel. Repeat this process with the remaining pierogies, adding more butter to the skillet as necessary. You can also go ahead and boil all of the pierogies and place on very lightly greased parchment paper, foil, or a cookie sheet until ready to cook in the skillet.
Once you have cooked all of the pierogis, transfer them to a dish and set aside. You can also put them on a lightly greased cookie sheet or oven-proof dish, in a single layer, and place in a warm/very low heated oven to keep them warm while you make the red wine sauce.
Add everything, expect the butter, to the same skillet you cooked the pierogies in. Cook over medium/high heat and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down slightly and cook at a heavy simmer for 10 minutes, or until thickened.
Remove from heat and add the butter. Gently stir until the butter is melted. To serve, place the pierogies on a plate or platter, spoon the sauce over, and garnish with the crispy sage.
