“‘O Maccaron” is a real certainty for us Neapolitans, the protagonist of various recipes. Here is that of Neapolitan Macaroni.
“O’ Maccaron” the subject of various recipes, from the simplest to the most elaborate, is always an irreplaceable meal for us Neapolitans.
Famous all over the world, copied abroad but alas with poor results, maccheroni have conquered everyone and I defy anyone who has never tasted them!
The word “maccherone” is of Campanian origin: the nickname Mackarone is attested in Cava (around the 11th century). According to legend, macaroni would have been brought to Italy by Marco Polo in 1292, a hypothesis that has long been refuted, as it seems that they had already been in use in Italy for at least a century.
In ancient Naples, macaroni was eaten served on a stall , on the street and without cutlery, and only a little grated cheese and a pinch of salt as a condiment. Other than street food….the Neapolitan people were already ahead!
Smooth, striped, of various sizes, they lend themselves well to any culinary experiment.
And if you don’t want to be called ” Maccarone” , in the jargon a clumsy person, not very smart, you absolutely have to try the original recipe for Neapolitan Macaroni !
The recipe for Neapolitan macaroni
What is needed
- 600 g of beef
- 400 g of macaroni
- 40 g of bacon
- 20 g of lard
- dry white wine
- 2 heaping tablespoons double concentrated tomato sauce
- 2 onions
- 1 small carrot
- garlic
- basil
- 1 stick of celery
- 4 spoonfuls of grated caciocavallo
- olive oil
- sale
- baby
Preparation
Cut the onions into very thin slices, finely chop the bacon, carrot, celery and garlic. Pour these ingredients into the pan with the lard and place the meat on top of them.
Brown it over low heat, turning it and pricking it with a fork; when it is well browned, pour a glass of dry white wine a little at a time, letting it evaporate.
Add two spoonfuls of tomato sauce, diluted with a little warm water, just enough to cover the meat, salt and pepper and add very little water if necessary. Cover and let the meat simmer.
When the meat is cooked and the sauce dark and thick , put the macaroni to boil, draining them al dente. Place a layer of macaroni in the deep serving dish, season it with plenty of sauce, a spoonful of caciocavallo cheese and a few basil leaves. Form another layer of macaroni on top of the first and continue until you finish dressing the pasta, to be served immediately.