Simple Italian Cookery | Page 3

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.
MACARONI WITH MEAT AND SAUCE (_Maccheroni al sugo di
Carne_)
Take one-half pound of beef without fat. Prepare the ham fat as in the
preceding receipt, chopped up with onion, celery, and parsley. Cut the
meat into several pieces, put it with the fat, etc., into a frying-pan. Add
salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is colored, then add two
tablespoons of wine, white or red. When the wine is absorbed add two
tablespoons of tomato paste dissolved in hot water. (Or tomato sauce as
in preceding.) Boil all together for five minutes, with cover on the

saucepan, then add one cup of boiling water, and allow it to simmer
until the meat is thoroughly cooked--about one-half an hour. Boil and
strain the macaroni as before, and pour over it the sauce from the meat.
Mix well, and serve with the meat in the middle and the macaroni
around it, with cheese (grated Parmesan) sprinkled over it.
This dish can be made with veal or mutton instead of the beef.
MACARONI WITH BUTTER AND CHEESE (_Maccheroni al
Burro_)
Boil and drain the macaroni. Take four tablespoons of table-butter,
three tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese, add to the macaroni in the
saucepan, mix well over the fire, and serve.
SICILIAN MACARONI WITH EGGPLANT
Slice one eggplant and put it under a weighted plate to extract the bitter
juices. Then fry the slices delicately in lard. Make a ragout of chickens'
hearts and livers as follows: Put two tablespoons of butter into a
saucepan, fry the hearts and livers, and when cooked add two
tablespoons of tomato paste, thinned with hot water (or a corresponding
amount of tomato sauce). Cook for fifteen minutes.
Prepare three-quarters of a pound of macaroni, boiled and drained, then
put it into the saucepan with the hearts and livers, add the eggplant and
three tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. Mix well together and
serve.
VERMICELLI WITH OLIVE-OIL AND ANCHOVIES
Take one-half pound of vermicelli, boil in salted water and drain. While
boiling put into a saucepan three anchovies, cut up fine, with four
tablespoons of olive-oil. Fry the anchovies in the oil, then put the
vermicelli into the saucepan, mix well for a few moments on the fire,
then serve.
VERMICELLI WITH OLIVE-OIL, OLIVES, CAPERS, AND

ANCHOVIES
Take one-half pound of vermicelli and cover it well with salted water.
Cook for about ten minutes. While it is boiling put into a saucepan four
tablespoons of olive-oil, three anchovies cut up fine with six olives
(ripe ones preferable) and one-half tablespoon of capers. When these
are fried add the vermicelli (well drained), mix well, and put the
saucepan at the back of the stove. Turn the vermicelli over with a fork
every few minutes until it is thoroughly cooked.
VERMICELLI WITH FISH
Boil one-half pound of vermicelli in salted water, drain, and mix with
two tablespoons of olive-oil and a little chopped-up parsley. Then set to
one side to get cool.
Take five smelts, split them, take out the bones, and fry them slightly in
one teaspoon of olive-oil.
Butter a pan and sprinkle it with bread crumbs. Then put into it
one-half of the cold vermicelli. Pour over this some thick tomato sauce
(one tablespoon of tomato paste cooked in two tablespoons of olive-oil).
Then put in the smelts cut in two, some anchovy, a few capers, and
three or four ripe olives chopped up with one mushroom. Then add the
rest of the tomato sauce, then the other half of the vermicelli, and on
top a layer of bread crumbs. Season all well with salt and pepper. Put
the pan into a moderate oven, and cook about an hour and a quarter,
adding a little olive-oil when necessary, so that it will not dry up too
much.
Any fish may be used instead of the smelts, cutting it into thin strips.
SPAGHETTI WITH TUNNY-FISH
While one-half pound of spaghetti is boiling in salted water prepare the
following: Take two ounces of tunny-fish and cut them into small
pieces. Put them into a saucepan and fry them in their own oil. This oil
is generally sufficient, but should it not