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Macarronada
Spaghetti in tomato sauce
Macarronada: São Paulo's Sunday spaghetti in long-simmered tomato sauce with pork sausage
In São Paulo's old Italian neighbourhoods, Bixiga and Mooca, Sunday lunch means macarronada: a big platter of spaghetti under a tomato sauce that has bubbled for an hour, with plenty of grated cheese. This version uses linguiça toscana, a fresh pork sausage seasoned with garlic, which is how many Paulistano families make it. For a vegetarian macarronada, leave out the sausage, add a handful more basil and use a vegetarian hard cheese. Chef's tip: a teaspoon of sugar balances the acidity of tinned tomatoes, and the long simmer does the rest.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 14 oz fresh pork sausage (linguiça toscana)skins removed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 4 cloves garlicchopped
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 3 cups tomato passata
- 14 oz tinned peeled tomatoescrushed
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 handful fresh basil
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Crumble in the 14 oz fresh pork sausage (linguiça toscana) and fry for 8 minutes, breaking it up, until browned with no pink left and cooked to 160°F.
8 minStep 2: Add the 1 onion and cook for 5 minutes, then the 4 cloves garlic and 2 tbsp tomato purée for 1 minute.
6 minStep 3: Add the 3 cups tomato passata, 14 oz tinned peeled tomatoes, 1 tsp sugar, 1 bay leaf and 1 tsp salt. Simmer gently, half-covered, for 40 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick and dark red.
40 minStep 4: Cook the 1 ⅛ lb spaghetti in plenty of salted boiling water until al dente. Overcooking it is the common mistake; it carries on softening under the hot sauce.
10 minStep 5: Drain, toss with half the sauce and tear in the 1 handful fresh basil. Spoon the rest of the sauce on top and serve with the 1 ¾ oz parmesan.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 82 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does macarronada take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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