This delicious recipe is one introduced to me by my friend, Felissa, at a holiday pot luck. This is a traditional dish that she makes for Jewish holidays.
Since being introduced to it, it is a traditional dish that I make whenever I desire a tasty pasta dish with a bit more depth. This simple combination of kasha, pasta, onions and mushrooms creates a main dish that will fill you up and leave you feeling quite satisfied.
Note: In this post, I’ve used the more common name of bow tie pasta, however, you may also see the Yiddish name, kasha varnishkes.
What is kasha?
The kasha to which I am referring is just buckwheat groats… but kasha sounds so much tastier than groats, doesn’t it?
Buckwheat kasha is gluten-free, so with gluten-free pasta, you can easily make a gluten-free version of this scrumptious dish.
In Slavic Europe, kasha can also mean porridge, and can refer to any number of grains, including buckwheat, rye, millet, wheat, barley, etc. When shopping for this recipe, be sure to get buckwheat.
Where do I buy kasha?
I’m sure there are many places to find kasha – I have seen it sold as buckwheat groats in the bulk sections of many grocery and health food stores. However, because kasha is a common food in Jewish cooking, the easiest place for me to find it is the kosher section of my local grocery store.
I recommend buying Wolff’s coarse or medium grain kasha.
Make Bow Ties with Kasha
I will admit that this recipe has a lot of steps. None is terribly difficult, but it will take a bit of time. The good news is that this recipe is absolutely delicious left over. Make it for dinner one night, and have leftovers for lunch or dinner later in the week.
- 1 cup kasha (Wolff's medium or coarse)
- 1 egg
- Vegetable broth (may also use chicken broth for a non-vegetarian dish)
- Bow tie pasta (aka varnishkes or farfalle)
- 2 onions
- 1 package mushrooms
- Olive oil
- Prepare the kasha following the directions on the package.
- For a nuttier flavor, toast the kasha well - just be sure not to burn it.
- Slice the onions and mushrooms.
- In a large skillet, saute the onions and mushrooms until they are golden brown. (I like mine caramelized, so I cook them for a nice long time.)
- In a large pot, cook the bow-tie pasta following the instructions on the box.
- Set aside until the kasha, mushrooms and onions are cooked.
- When all ingredients are cooked, combine all ingredients and mix well.
- Serve and Enjoy
That looks delicious. I am going to try it!
Never heard of Kasha before. Sounds interesting and a great option for those who are gluten free
Have to say I’ve never heard of it before, either, but it the recipe sounds delicious!
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I’ve never heard of Kasha, but that sure does look tasty!
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I’ve tried this once and it was yummy!
Sounds good, I have seen kasha at the store but never tried it. But I like soba noodles which are made from buckwheat, so I’d probably like this too.
I’ve never heard of Kasha either, but this looks really good, something I’m going to have to try…Thanks 🙂
I’ve never heard of kasha but I like how versatile it is in your dish.
This looks really good especially since bow tie pasta is my favorite.
Wow this looks delicious!! Thanks for sharing!
Never heard of this but it looks quite tasty!
I’ve never heard of Kasha before – it looks delicious!
I’ve seen this before but didn’t know it’s called kasha!!
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I’ve never heard of this, it sounds pretty interesting. I would give it a taste! And you’re very right, kasha sounds a lot better than buckwheat groats. 🙂
I love kasha! this recipe looks delicous!
So glad to hear that someone else knows what kasha is. 🙂 I hope you make the recipe in the future – enjoy.