Why it works: Onion and beef are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 17,092 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Pate of Macaroni
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point.
Cook the macaroni
Combine macaroni, onion, boiling water, salt, and pepper in a saucepan.
Simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Drain the macaroni.
Return the drained macaroni to the saucepan with broth.
Simmer until the macaroni is tender but unbroken and the onion is absorbed.
Layer and bake
Layer the macaroni in a deep pie dish.
Sprinkle the macaroni with Parmesan cheese.
Add small pieces of butter on top of the macaroni layer.
Top with seasoned beef steak cut into small pieces.
Alternate layers of macaroni and meat, finishing with a macaroni layer on top.
Sprinkle the top layer with Parmesan cheese.
Pour clarified butter over the top.
Bake in a Dutch oven or regular oven at 400°F (200°C) for 5 to 6 minutes until the cheese is melted.
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.
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.
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Onion + beeftop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Parmesan cheese + buttertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,163 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Pepper + beeftop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,971 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Pepper + parmesan cheesetop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,322 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Macaroni
- Forms the bulk and structure of the pie, holding its layers together when baked.
- Parmesan cheese
- Melts and browns on top, adding savory flavor and a crisp golden crust.
- Beef steak
- Supplies the meat layer, adding savory flavor and richness to the pie.
- Broth
- Adds liquid and savory flavor as the macaroni finishes simmering and absorbs it.
- Butter
- Adds richness and helps the top brown as it bakes.
The step that matters
Simmer the macaroni until just tender. Simmering until tender but unbroken keeps the pasta pieces intact so the layers hold their shape. Overcooked macaroni turns soft and mushy and loses its structure when baked.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, parmesan cheese, butter, beef):
- Tomatofits about as well
- Potatofits about as well
- Onionthe original
- Asparagusfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, parmesan cheese, butter, beef. 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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