Rossella's Cooking with Nonna - Nonna Angela’s Fresh Sicilian Maccarruna with Tomato Sauce

Rossella's Cooking with Nonna - Nonna Angela’s Fresh Sicilian Maccarruna with Tomato Sauce

 

Ingredients

For 4 Person(s)

For the Sauce:

  • 10 Roma tomatoes, ends trimmed

  • 2 medium carrots, peeled

  • 1 small onion, whole

  • 1 bunch of basil, washed

  • 2 extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 teaspoons sugar

For the Pasta:

  • 2 1/4 cups refined Semolina flour (Rimacinata) (see link below)

  • 2/3 cup tepid water

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

 

  1. To make the Sauce:

    1. Add the tomatoes, carrots, onions, basil and oil to a large saucepan. Fill with water until the ingredients are just barely covered.

    2. Bring to a boil and cover. Cook until most of the water has evaporated, about 20-30 minutes.

    3. Pass the ingredients through a strainer or a food mill into another bowl.

    4. Transfer the strained Sauce back to the saucepan. Add the sugar and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally.

2. To make the Pasta:

  1. Pour the semolina onto a clean work surface and make a well in the center. Add the Oil and then add the water little by little, a few tablespoons at a time. Begin to mix with your fingers, catching any water that tries to escape from the sides.

  2. Keep adding the water while trying to form a uniform ball of dough.

  3. The dough will be crumbly at first but will begin to come together after 5-7 minutes of kneading.

  4. Once you have obtained a uniform ball of dough and the dough no longer sticks to your hands, keep kneading with the heels of your hands for an additional 7-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and soft but firm enough to hold an indentation. The end result should feel somewhat like playdo- damp to the touch but not sticky. If the dough feels too wet, dust it and your work surface with extra semolina. If the dough feels too dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time and knead it through.

  5. Take a piece of dough and roll on a wooden board into a rope shape. Cut into 3 or 4 inch pieces then roll each piece onto a wooden skewer. Using the heel of your hand, roll on the board until it becomes thin. If you have trouble rolling, add a little oil to your wooden board. Extract the “maccaruni” by pulling the dough off the skewer with the palm of your hand, then place on the edge of a bowl lined with a clean cotton cloth.

  6. Drop then Maccarruna into salted boiling water and cook until al dente and the Pasta begins to float to the top of the pot, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and transfer to the pot with the sauce. Toss for 1-2 minutes over a low flame and serve with a generous sprinkle of grated cheese.

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