Kasha Varnishkes
When I was growing up, the only whole grain my mother made was kasha, and she made it so well that I still consult her. Here’s a gluten-free variation of her kasha varnishkes, made with golden quinoa-corn elbows. Corn pasta provides great eye appeal, but you can use any type of gluten-free shaped pasta.
Active time
30 minutesTotal time
30 minutesYield
6 servingsNutrition
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Ingredients
1 ½ cups quinoa-corn elbows
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
Sea salt
⅓ cup raw sunflower seeds
1 ⅓ cups kasha
2 ⅔ cups boiling water
1 cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a generous amount of boiling water until just tender. Drain and rinse in cold water.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the onions and a pinch of salt, and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onion begins to soften.
- Toast the sunflower seeds in a dry medium-size skillet over medium heat, stirring often, for 3 to 5 minutes, until they are aromatic and start to pop. Add the kasha and ½ teaspoon of salt and toast for about 1 minute to warm the kasha. (This will make it turn out lighter and fluffier.)
- Stir the kasha and toasted sunflower seeds into the sautéed onions. Lower the heat, then slowly pour in the water. Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed.
- Fluff the kasha with a fork, then add the pasta and chopped parsley and stir gently until evenly incorporated. Serve immediately.
Leslie Cerier is the author of “Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook.” For more recipes, please visit www.lesliecerier.com.
Nutrition
Calories: 360Total Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 1.5g
Sodium: 15mg
Carbohydrate: 63g
Fiber: 5g
Total Sugar: 2g (Added Sugar: 0g)
Protein: 9g
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