Kasha Rustica

Kasha varnishkes by another name, and just as comforting. Toasted buckwheat groats tossed with bow-tie pasta, caramelized onions, and browned mushrooms make a dish that’s been warming Eastern European and Jewish kitchens for generations.

The egg-coating step is what separates great kasha from mushy kasha. Mixing the raw buckwheat with beaten egg before toasting it in a dry skillet coats each grain in a thin protein shell. When you cook it in hot stock, the grains stay separate and nutty instead of clumping into porridge.

Brown those onions slowly over medium heat for a full 10 minutes. Rushing them with high heat gives you translucent onions. Patient browning gives you sweet, golden onions that carry the whole dish.

Kitchen Tips

• Toast the egg-coated kasha over high heat, breaking it apart constantly with a fork. Three minutes is all it takes for the egg to set and the grains to separate
• Add boiling stock to the toasted kasha, not cold. Cold stock shocks the grains and can make them gummy
• Cook the mushrooms until they’re actually browned, not just softened. Mushrooms need to release their water and then re-absorb the butter before they develop that deep, savory flavor
• Bow-tie pasta (farfalle) is traditional here. The ruffled edges catch the kasha grains and hold onto the onion-mushroom mixture

Variations

• With gravy: Serve alongside braised brisket and spoon the pan juices over the kasha for a complete meal
• Add greens: Stir in wilted spinach or kale at the end for color and nutrition
• Vegan version: Use oil instead of margarine and skip the egg coating (the grains won’t be quite as separate, but the flavor still delivers)