I’d been planning to make chili tonight, but then I read this article in the SF Chronicle this morning. It reminded me of the bag of bulgur I bought for tabbouleh months ago. I never got around to making the tabbouleh, and the bag has since been constantly buried beneath packets of pasta…which makes me even less motivated to use it. The pasta is more accessible.

The recipes sounded good, though, and I decided I had to use the bulgur in something.

The article claims that this recipe will serve 3, but my increased portions served the two of us with no leftovers. But that’s probably because we’re ravenous beasts.

2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups broth or water (add 1/2 teaspoon salt, if using water)
1 1/2 cups bulgur wheat
0.5 cups spaghetti, broken into ~1-inch pieces
1/2 bell pepper, diced (I used a quarter each of a red and green pepper)
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Instructions: Dry fry the onion and peppers over medium-high heat until onions are translucent. Remove from heat and set aside. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the spaghetti and stir until browned. Add the bulgur and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the vegetables, spices, and broth. Simmer for 10 minutes, covered.

[Adapted from the SF Chronicle, "Ancient Grain for Modern Times", January 14, 2009.]