Bow ties and kasha

It’s kosher time in the neighborhood.

I live in a highly populated Jewish area. In the local supermarket, there’s an entire section of the store dedicated to the kosher community. I used to be married to a Jewish man, so I know the culture. If I may be so bold to give myself snaps, my matzo balls were legendary in these parts. Many a Jewish maven picked my brain for the recipe. Who knew the shiksa could make a killer ball?! But today’s recipe is not the Matzo Ball (unless I want to feature it as “Ball, Matzo” under my “B” category). But I digress. Bow Ties with Kasha is something I’ve always wanted to try but never got around to making. It’s also a recipe steeped in Jewish tradition. So, today I decided to go to my local supermarket and hang out in the kosher department with a bewildered look on my face. You see, there’s a high holiday being celebrated in the Jewish community and I suspected the supermarket would be swarming with good Jewish women doing their food shopping for the big dinner on Saturday night. And I was right. Of course I could just Google the recipe for Bow Ties and Kasha but it’s much more rewarding to get the best recipe straight from the horse’s mouth. All it took was a few inquiries and I had a handful of mavens offering suggestions. It took a little playing and adjusting, but it was well worth it. Kasha, if you aren’t aware, is actually buckwheat grains. I love the nutty flavor. I did something completely unorthodox and splashed it with a little Panang Curry sauce from Whole Foods for some extra zip. Yummy!!!

Bow Ties and Kasha
3 oz. bow tie pasta (about 1/4 of a full 12 oz. box)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
one large onion, chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
one cup sliced mushrooms
salt and black pepper to taste
one egg, beaten
1/2 cup of kasha (whole roasted buckwheat groats)
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup of panang curry sauce (this is very mild and OPTIONAL)

1. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the onions and mushrooms are nice and tender. Remove and set aside in a bowl.

2. In a pot, cook the bow tie pasta until tender and done (about 15-20 minutes). Drain and toss with the onion/mushroom mixture.

2. In a small bowl, beat the egg and add the kasha until it is well coated. Add them to the skillet that you cooked the onion/mushroom mixture in. Cook them on high for about 2-3 minutes until the grains are toasted and separated. Reduce the heat to low and add the vegetable broth. Cover and cook for about 7 minutes until the broth is absorbed. Add the pasta, onion/mushroom mixture and the panang curry sauce. Heat it through and serve in bowls.