2 quarts of water
3/4 pound of macaroni
Boil the water until it makes
big bubbles. Add salt, then break the macaroni and put it in. Cover the
saucepan and boil for fifteen minutes.
The saucepan should not
be too small, otherwise the macaroni will stick to the bottom.
Prepare the sauce as follows:
Take a good slice of ham
fat, and chop very fine with it a piece of onion, a piece of celery, and
some parsley.
Then put this into a frying-pan
and cook until the grease is colored. (If desired, add a small lump of
butter.) When well colored add two tablespoons of tomato paste dissolved
in a little hot water. Boil all together for fifteen minutes.
Drain the macaroni, and put
it into the frying-pan with the sauce, mix well with fork and spoon over
the fire, so that the macaroni will be thoroughly seasoned, then add three
tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese, mix again, and serve.
If no tomato paste is available
make the tomato sauce as follows:
Chop up fine one-quarter
of an onion, a piece of celery the length of a finger, two or three basil-leaves,
and a small bunch of parsley.
Slice seven or eight tomatoes
(fresh or canned), add salt and pepper, and put all on together to cook
in four tablespoons of good olive-oil.
Stir occasionally, and when
it becomes as thick as cream, strain, and add the macaroni as before directed. |