Kasha Varnishkes Like Bubbie Made

Have you ever heard of Kasha Varnishkes? No one made Kasha Varnishkes like my "Bubbie" (grandmother) who emigrated from Russia solo to the USA in the early 1900's. At the age of 16, she brought little with her except her courage and her mother's recipes.

One of my favorites was her hearty and savory recipe for kasha varnishkas which is a mix of pasta, sautéed onions, and buckwheat groats (kasha). 

Traditionally, kasha varnishkas are made with "bowties"pasta also known as farfalle (pasta in the shape of bowties). I was able to find gluten-free farfalle in a few supermarkets the 2nd time I made it. The first time I had to use pencil points.

I updated this post when I found the bowtie GF pasta and made the dish again using the traditionally shaped bowtie noodle. 

Have you ever tasted Kasha? It can be eaten for breakfast as a cereal or as a starchy side dish with a meal much in the same way you would eat rice or quinoa.

What is Kasha?

Similar to quinoa, kasha is considered a pseudo grain because it is actually a seed. This gluten free seed/grain, which is mostly grown in Russia and China, is also called buckwheat or groats (there is no wheat in buckwheat). "Varnishkes" is a Yiddish/Ukranian  type word referring to the pasta.

Kasha has a nutty flavor and is hearty, healthy, and filling. 

Paired with pasta, it is a comfort food that takes eating ordinary kasha eating to a whole new level!!This recipe using buckwheat, sauteed onions, vegetable broth, and pasta is one delicious meal.

Where can you buy kasha?
Just about every supermarket carries kasha. It can usually be found in the Kosher foods section by a brand called Wolff's. I also noticed that Amazon sells bags of kasha from other brands.

Kasha Recipe Contest in the 1920's

In 1925, Wolff's, a company that sold kasha, located in Paterson, New Jersey, ran a contest where they asked people to send in their Kasha (buckwheat) recipes. They said that they received thousands of recipes and picked the very best recipes to appear in a Yiddish cookbook that they published using the recipes! Of course Kasha Varnishkes was included in the cookbook.

Ingredients: 

12 ounces of uncooked gluten free pasta in the shape of bowties
10 cups of water and salt to taste to boil pasta 

Broth or water for sautéing

2 cups of chopped onion
1 8 ounce package of sliced white mushrooms, cleaned

2 cups of vegetable broth, brought to a boil before adding

1 cup of kasha (buckwheat groats), washed and drained
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:  
Cook Pasta

In a 3 quart soup pot, add water and salt and bring to a boil. When water is boiling, add pasta and cook until pasta is soft. Drain, rinse, and set aside. 

While pasta is cooking, saute onions and mushrooms
Add onions and mushrooms to a skillet and sauté mushrooms and onions until onions become translucent, stirring to prevent burning. Remove and transfer to a small bowl. 

Cook Kasha

Add kasha to the empty skillet and pan toast for 5 minutes, shaking as needed to prevent burning. Reduce heat to a simmer, add boiling vegetable broth, salt, pepper, and and cook covered on low until all liquid is absorbed for about 15 minutes. When the kasha is done, add the onions and mushrooms. Mix well and toss with the cooked pasta.

MY NOTES: 

I adapted this recipe to make it vegan and oil-free.  My mother dry roasted her kasha with some beaten egg and used oil to sauté her onions. 

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