Last Night's Dinner

When I saw these small egg bows at the IGA, I had a craving for kasha varnishkes, a delicious dish of toasted buckwheat groats, browned onions, and pasta that isn't often made by anyone under the age of 75. I ran right from the IGA to Provisions to buy the buckwheat, so excited about eating this childhood favorite that I seriously thought about making it for lunch. But that would have been selfish. It's not much to look at (I guess I could have stirred in some chopped parsley to make it prettier), but the children enjoyed it very much alongside some broiled flank steak that I had rubbed with paprika and thyme. Here's the recipe:

Kasha Varnishkes
Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped
Salt
Ground black pepper
4 ounces small bow-tie pasta
1 large egg
1 cup buckwheat groats (kasha)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and peper and transfer to a bowl.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until just tender, drain, and toss with the onions.
3. Lightly beat the egg in a medium bowl. Add the buckwheat groats and stir to coat.
4. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and heat over high. Ad the egg-coated buckwheat groats and cook, stirring constantly, until they are toasted and dry, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the broth and water, bring to a boil, lower hte heat, and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed and the buckwheat groats are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Stir in the onion and pasta mixture, season with salt and pepper, heat through, and serve.