Recipe Manuscript

Sopa De Macarrón Con Tomate

Name: Sopa De Macarrón Con Tomate
Prep time: PTPT15M
Cook time: PTPT25M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 250g dry macaroni; Water for boiling and salt for seasoning; 40g lard or unsalted butter (substitute neutral oil if needed); 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (about 60g); 1-2 cloves garlic, minced (about 8g); 400g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or canned equivalent); 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon sugar; 80g queso de canastilla (semi-firm Mexican basket cheese), grated (substitute provolone or mild mozzarella if needed); 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon white vinegar

"Macaroni Soup With Tomato"

1915

From the treasured pages of Recetas no 1 de Susana de Sánchez Irazoqui

Written by Irazoqui, Susana de Sánchez

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American Intermediate Lunch Dinner

Original Recipe • 1915

Original Manuscript(circa Early Modern Kitchen, 1900 - 1930)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Sopa De Macarrón Con Tomate

"Se parte el macarrón en pedazos chicos y se coce. se le bota el agua y se maja y todo el bagazo se muele. se frie en manteca cebolla ajo, y el tomate se le pone sal pimienta y azucar. cuando esta bien guisado se quita se pone en un azafate una capa de macarron, queso rallado de canastilla, perejil picado y la mitad del tomate; luego otra capa de macarron queso y perejil y el tomate aceite y vinagre, se mete al horno hasta que seque. al servirse se le pone un queso rallado por encima."

English Translation

"Macaroni Soup with Tomato Break the macaroni into small pieces and cook it. Drain the water and mash it; grind all the pulp. Fry onion, garlic, and tomato in lard, add salt, pepper, and sugar. When it is well cooked, remove it. In a dish, put a layer of macaroni, grated canastilla cheese, chopped parsley, and half of the tomato mixture; then another layer of macaroni, cheese, and parsley, and the rest of the tomato, oil, and vinegar. Bake until it dries. When served, sprinkle grated cheese on top."

Note on the Original Text

Recipes from this period were typically written without detailed measurements or oven temperatures, assuming the reader’s practical kitchen sense. The writing is direct and often omits connectives or precise times, trusting family members to know by touch, sight, and taste when each step is complete. Spellings like 'coce' for 'cuece' and 'maja' for 'macha' reflect a casual or phonetic approach, influenced by regional dialects and the writer’s education. Such manuscripts often show the evolution of language and culinary technique in a lively, personal way.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Recetas no 1 de Susana de Sánchez Irazoqui - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Recetas no 1 de Susana de Sánchez Irazoqui (1915)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Irazoqui, Susana de Sánchez

Era

1915

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A charming handwritten collection capturing early 20th-century Mexican home cookery, these intimate recipes from Durango offer a delicious glimpse into tradition and change, lovingly compiled by generations of women.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe was penned in 1915 in Durango, Mexico, amidst a period of political and cultural transformation. Women of the Irazoqui-Sánchez family kept these cookbooks as both practical guides and family heirlooms, preserving beloved household recipes. The manuscript is a window into early 20th-century Mexican domestic life, where European influences such as pasta mingled with local traditions and ingredients. This dish, taking humble macaroni and elevating it with tomatoes, cheese, and the final touch of oven-baking, reflects a cosmopolitan spirit of the era. It showcases how imported ingredients and methods blended with local customs, resulting in unique Mexican comfort foods passed from mother to daughter.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The original preparation would have used a large clay or enamel pot for boiling and draining the macaroni. The manual mashing was likely done with a wooden pestle or large spoon. Cooking the aromatics and tomato sauce would happen in a heavy iron or clay skillet over a wood or coal stove. Layering the dish into a deep clay or metal baking pan, cooks would finish the casserole in a wood-fired oven or on the embers, watching carefully for doneness. Cheese would be hand-grated on a wooden grater, and fresh herbs chopped with a kitchen knife or crescent chopper.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

9 oz dry macaroni
Water for boiling and salt for seasoning
3 tablespoons lard or unsalted butter (substitute neutral oil if needed)
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (about 2 oz)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (about 0.3 oz)
14 oz ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or canned equivalent)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
3 oz queso de canastilla (semi-firm Mexican basket cheese), grated (substitute provolone or mild mozzarella if needed)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Instructions

Break about 9 oz of dry macaroni into small pieces and boil in salted water until just tender.
Drain and discard the cooking water.
Use a potato masher or fork to roughly mash the macaroni; if desired, pulse briefly in a food processor for a finer texture (the original method would have involved hand-mashing).
In a large pan, heat 3 tablespoons lard or unsalted butter and sauté half a finely chopped onion and 1-2 minced garlic cloves until golden.
Add 14 oz ripe tomatoes (peeled and chopped; canned tomatoes can substitute), season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon sugar.
Cook until the mixture forms a thick sauce.
In a shallow baking dish, layer half the macaroni, 1.5 oz grated semi-hard Mexican cheese (like queso canasta, or substitute with mild provolone or mozzarella), 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, and half the tomato sauce.
Repeat layers.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon white vinegar over the top.
Bake at 350°F until most of the liquid evaporates and the top is golden, 20-25 minutes.
Serve hot, topped with extra grated cheese.

Estimated Calories

330 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will need around 15 minutes to prepare the ingredients, including chopping and boiling the macaroni. Cooking the sauce and assembling the dish takes about 25 minutes, and baking requires another 25 minutes. Each serving contains about 330 calories, and this recipe makes 4 servings.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.