Why it works: Tomato and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 17,923 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
World Recipe Baked Macaroni
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cook macaroni according to package instructions.
Drain the macaroni and set aside.
Grease a casserole dish with cooking spray or butter.
Assemble and bake
Pour macaroni into the casserole dish.
Add the can of stewed tomatoes, seasonings, and shredded cheddar.
Cook uncovered for 30-40 minutes until cheese melts and is slightly golden.
Check after 30 minutes to ensure cheese is not darkening too quickly.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Macaroni | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Butter + cheesetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,962 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Tomato + cheesetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,896 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Pepper + cheesetop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,861 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Butter + peppertop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together85,593 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Long macaroni
- Forms the bulk of the dish and gives it a firm, starchy structure that holds the sauce.
- Stewed tomatoes
- Add moisture and acidity, and their chunks give the dish texture and tomato flavour.
- Cheddar cheese
- Melts into the dish to add richness and fat, and browns on top.
The step that matters
Checking the cheese while baking. Cheese high in sugars and proteins can darken quickly in a hot oven. Checking at 30 minutes lets you catch browning before it turns bitter, while the centre still heats through.
Swap the tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, pepper, cheese):
- Capsicumfits better
- Potatofits about as well
- Mustardfits about as well
- Tomatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, pepper, cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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