Why it works: Tomato and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 20,633 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
★ Baked Pine Nuts
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Remove shells from pine nuts.
Pour boiling water over 2 lbs of pine nuts in a fine colander, then rinse the pine nuts in cold water.
Cook
Place the rinsed pine nuts into a bean pot with 2 large onions sliced fine, 1 1/3 cups strained tomato, and 2 1/2 teaspoons salt.
Heat rapidly at first; boil gently for a half hour.
Simmer slowly in the oven for 10–12 hours or longer.
Leave just juicy for serving.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
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 + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Pine nuts (in the method)
- Form the main body of the dish, becoming tender during long, slow cooking.
- Strained tomato
- Adds moisture and acidity that help the sauce develop flavour during slow simmering.
- Onions
- Add sweetness and savoury depth as they soften and release their sugars during cooking.
The step that matters
Simmer slowly in the oven for 10–12 hours or longer. Long, gentle heat lets the nuts soften and the liquid reduce without scorching. Too much heat can dry or burn the bottom of the pot, so the dish stays juicy only with low, steady cooking.
“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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