Kugel Recipes for National Pasta Month

March is National Pasta Month! Yes, that’s a thing. To celebrate here are three fabulous, filling kugel recipes.

“My mom used to put [sugar-frosted flakes] on top of the kugel,” chef and restaurateur Susan Feniger (Border Grill, “Too Hot Tamales”) told the Journal. 

While Feniger is a fan of savory kugel, her mom’s recipe is one of her favorites. 

Noodle Kugel

© 2015, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, BorderGrill.com 

1 pound egg noodles, cooked
2 sticks butter, plus more for topping
1 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
6 egg whites, whipped
2 cups sour cream
2 cups cottage cheese
sugar frosted flakes

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Cream the butter until softened. Add the sugar, egg yolks, sour cream and cottage cheese. Then mix in the cooked noodles. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then fold in the whipped egg whites.
Put noodle mixture in a buttered and lightly floured deep dish casserole and top with plenty of frosted flakes. Place slices of butter around the top and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes.

CW Silverberg, host of “Schmoozing and Cruising” on ChaiFlicks, has strong memories of kugel from his youth. “My mom makes a salt and pepper kugel, that is like a savory crispy [treat],” Silverberg told the Journal. “She would make the noodles, beat the egg into the noodle and then pour hot oil into the egg noodle mixture.” 

Silverberg says his mom would whip up the kugel mixture and then bake it in the oven to set.

“Before she put it in the oven, you got to scrape that bowl. Nobody was looking; you just scooped it out and you ate as much as you could before you got in trouble.” – CW Silverberg

“Before she put it in the oven, you get to scrape that bowl,” he said. “Nobody was looking; you just scooped it out and you ate as much as you could before you got in trouble.”

This was his Friday, pre-Shabbat treat.

Salt and Pepper Kugel

1lb fine egg noodles (the short and skinny kind)
6 eggs
¼ cup of canola or any other neutral flavored oil
Plenty of salt and pepper, as the name implies

Cook noodles per the directions. Drain and then cool slightly. Rinse with warm water. Put drained, rinsed noodles in a large bowl and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Pour ¼ cup of oil into a baking dish (I like to use Pyrex for this as it contributes a wonderful crispy noodle crust), and place the baking dish in the oven for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, crack and mix six eggs into a small bowl.
Pour eggs over noodles. Mix together.
Then, pour the preheated oil into the egg and noodle mixture. Stir vigorously to emulsify the mix, and add salt and pepper to your liking. While I prefer heavier on both, I recommend being gentle with seasoning at first because it’s hard to come back from too much salt and/or too much pepper. At this point the mix should resemble a carbonara-esque looking pasta. This is where you can taste for seasoning. Enjoy it; it’s freaking delicious!
Pour mixture into the preheated baking dish. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees. Cook for about an hour; check after 45 minutes. Let cool slightly and enjoy that crispy crust.

Nina Safar created a savory mash-up kugel.

“This recipe merges comfort food fave Ramen noodles with a shabbat classic, noodle kugel,” cookbook author Safar, the food blogger behind Kosher in the Kitch, told the Journal. “[It’s a] dish everyone will enjoy.” 

Ramen Noodle Kugel

2 packages ramen noodles
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp sugar (optional)
4 eggs

Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook ramen noodles in water per directions (around 3 minutes).
Once cooked, combine noodles with salt, pepper and eggs. Mix in sugar, if you are adding it.
Place mixture in a round baking dish and spray the top with olive oil.
Bake in a 350°F oven for about 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are slightly crispy. Serve with spicy mayo and chopped scallions.