Macaroni Schotel - Macaroni Dutch style

This is a typically Dutch hybrid dish; and as with many Dutch classics, it combines the basic structure of international dishes with traditional Dutch ingredients. The Dutch are very adept at taking international favourites and giving them a quintessential Hollands twist. Often the flavours are mellowed for the blander Dutch palate, and it can sometimes be the case that little of the taste of the original dish is noticeable in the finished result. But sometimes, as with this macaroni dish, the combination of ingredients work so well together and bring something totally different. And this particular dish is a veritable meat feast, or more specifically a pork feast! It should come as no surprise that the Netherlands is one of the top pork exporters in Europe, (rivalled only by Germany), and that over half of all meat consumed in the Netherlands is pork. Its safe to say that Dutch people love eating pork!

Ingredients

500g half and half mince (50% pork, 50% beef)

200g smoked speck or lardons

1 red onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 packet of soup vegetables (finely sliced leek, carrot, shredded cabbage and celery leaves)

1 Tb tomato puree
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
500g macaroni
1 pork smoked sausage*
1 tin of pork hotdogs
a sprig of fresh parsley for garnish

* smoked sausage or rookworst is a favourite of many Dutch dishes, from stamppot and hutspot to brown bean soup and erwtensoep. It comes pre-cooked and vacuum packed.

Method

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.

Brown the minced pork and beef in a large flatbottomed pot or Dutch oven. Drain any excess fat from the pot.

In a separate pan fry the lardons until brown and then add these to the mince, discarding any fat.

Peel and finely slice the onion and garlic cloves and add these to the mince and lardons. Then add the contents of the soup vegetable packet, and stir this well.

Add the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes and the herbs and spices. Turn the heat down and continue gently frying.

When the pan of water comes to the boil, add the macaroni and cook according to the instructions on the packet. Stir well to ensure that the macaroni does not clump together.

Slice the rookworst into thin slices and the hotdogs into small chunks. Add these to the pot with the mince and vegetables, and stir through. Add a little water to the pan. Continue gently frying for another 5 to 10 minutes.

When the pasta is cooked al dente, drain the water and add the macaroni to the pot. Mix thoroughly and continue cooking for another 2 minutes.

Done!

The macaroni dish is delicious with some fresh rucola salad, grated parmesan, and a dash of sweet chili sauce (a particular favourite of my kids)!

Eet smakelijk! Enjoy!

DID YOU KNOW?

There are about 17 million people in the Netherlands and about 14 million pigs!

DID YOU KNOW?

The word Macaroni comes from ancient Greek, and is generally thought to mean "food that is eaten at a funeral"!