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 ↓
Macaroni with Tomatoes
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a slack oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the macaroni
Break the macaroni into lengths of about 3 inches.
Boil the macaroni in a saucepan of salted water for about 20 minutes until done.
Drain the macaroni and place it in a baking dish.
Bake and serve
Mix in the grated Parmesan cheese, thick stewed tomatoes, brown meat gravy, butter, salt, and pepper.
Place the dish in a 300°F (150°C) oven and let it simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Serve warm.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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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Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Butter + parmesan cheesetop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,163 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Tomato + parmesan cheesetop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,490 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Parmesan cheese + peppertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,322 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
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Meat + buttertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,594 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Macaroni
- Forms the bulk of the dish, giving it a firm, chewy structure once boiled and baked.
- Stewed tomatoes
- Provide moisture and acidity that give the sauce its body and tangy flavor.
- Brown meat gravy
- Adds savory depth and moisture to the sauce coating the macaroni.
- Butter
- Adds richness and fat that smooths the sauce and carries flavor.
- Parmesan cheese
- Adds salty, savory flavor and helps the sauce turn rich and cohesive as it melts.
The step that matters
Draining the macaroni. Excess boiling water left on the pasta dilutes the tomato and gravy mixture, so the sauce turns thin instead of clinging to the noodles. Drain well before adding the other ingredients.
Swap the tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (meat, butter, parmesan cheese, pepper):
- Potatofits about as well
- Asparagusfits about as well
- Tomatothe original
- Capsicumfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against meat, butter, parmesan cheese, pepper. 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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