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Kasha Varnishkes Recipe - Kasha with Bowtie Pasta Recipe

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Kasha buckwheat groats are cooked with onions and chicken stock, then mixed with bowtie pasta for a classic Jewish dish. This was traditional comfort food for Russian Jews, brought to America by immigrants. It continues to be a favorite in the Lower East Side district of New York City, as well as across the U.S. This is a great source of fiber, perfect for a side dish.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup kasha buckwheat groats, medium granulation
  • 1 egg, well beaten
  • 2 Tablespoons rendered chicken fat or vegetable oil
  • 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 cups chicken stock or use canned
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup pasta bow ties

Preparation:

In a small bowl, mix the kasha with the beaten egg. Be sure all the grains are covered with egg. Place a medium non-stick frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the kasha to the pan and, using a wooden fork, flatten it out a bit, stirring and moving it about the pan until the egg dries and the grains have mostly separated. Set aside.

Place a pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta bow ties. (Do not cook them yet.)

In a 4-quart heavy stove-top covered casserole, heat the chicken fat or oil and saute the onions until clear. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the salt and pepper and the reserved kasha. Stir a bit and cover. Cook over low heat, stirring now and then, until the kasha is tender, about 10 minutes. If it is not done to your taste, cook for a few more minutes.

In the meantime, boil the pasta just until tender. Drain well and stir into the kasha.

Serve hot.

Yield: 4 servings as a starch dish

Recipe Source: The Frugal Gourmet On Our Immigrant Ancesters by Jeff Smith (Wm Morrow & Co, Inc.)
Reprinted with permission.

User Reviews

 5 out of 5
Easy to make vegan, Member queerboi

I was making this from memory - but thought I'd check to be sure it was really as simple as I had remembered. I was cooking for a dinner party that included a vegan (no meat or dairy - including eggs), so I heated the buckwheat in a pan using olive oil spray instead of eggs - and it worked! I also substituted vegetable stock instead of water and cooked the onions in olive oil. Mixed it all together - added salt and pepper - and it was delicious! Not as heavy as I remembered (since it was sans chicken fat) but really good nonetheless.

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