Recipe Manuscript

Sopa De Macarron

Name: Sopa De Macarron
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT40M
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 250 g dried macaroni; Salt, to taste; 400 g ripe tomatoes (or substitute with a can of whole peeled tomatoes if necessary); 2 tablespoons lard or unsalted butter; 100 g Mexican or Spanish-style chorizo, thinly sliced; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon sugar; 100-150 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese; 50 g unsalted butter (for layering); 250 ml chicken or vegetable stock; Fresh parsley, chopped; 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced (for garnish); Pickled jalapeños or other chiles in vinegar, sliced (for garnish)

"Macaroni Soup"

1910

From the treasured pages of Mexican Cooking Manuscript de Diario del Hogar

Unknown Author

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

Original Recipe • 1910

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 Macarron

"Se cuecen los macarrones en bastante agua con sal y todavía un poco duros, se apartan del fuego y se ponen á escurrir. Se asa bastante jitomate encarnado y se muele. Se fríen en manteca algunas bolas de chorizo, se apartan después de bien fritas y en la misma grasa se fríe el jitomate, añadiéndole pimienta en polvo, un trocito de azúcar y la sal necesaria; se deja hervir para que se sazone y luego se aparta; en otra cazuela untada con mantequilla se pone una capa de macarrón, encima otra de jitomate, después bastante queso de Parma rayado, trocitos de mantequilla y un poco de chorizo frito desmenuzado; de esta manera se van alternando las capas hasta concluir, agregando en la última, que deberá ser de queso, un poco de caldo y perejil picado; se coloca la cazuela entre dos fuegos y se hace hervir suavemente para que se sazone la sopa. Al servirla se adorna con ruedas de huevo cocido y chiles en vinagre."

English Translation

"Boil the macaroni in plenty of salted water; while still a bit firm, remove from the heat and drain. Roast enough ripe tomatoes and grind them. Fry some chorizo balls in lard; after they are well fried, set them aside, and in the same fat, fry the tomatoes, adding ground pepper, a small piece of sugar, and the necessary salt. Let it boil so it becomes seasoned, then set aside. In another pan greased with butter, put a layer of macaroni, then a layer of tomato, then plenty of grated Parmesan cheese, small pieces of butter, and some crumbled fried chorizo. Keep alternating layers like this until finished, adding to the last layer, which should be cheese, a little broth and chopped parsley. Place the pan over low heat and let it cook gently so the soup is well seasoned. When serving, garnish with slices of hard-boiled egg and pickled chili peppers."

Note on the Original Text

This recipe is communicated in a narrative, paragraph form typical of the period, with little separation between ingredients and procedures; quantities are rarely specified, and experienced judgment is assumed. The recipe relies on context—'bastante agua', 'bastante queso', 'trozo de azúcar'—rather than precise amounts. Spelling and vocabulary may appear old-fashioned: 'jitomate' for tomato is still used in Mexico; 'cazuela' denotes a specific baking dish; 'sazonar' implies both seasoning and blending of flavors. The technique of frying in 'manteca' (lard) and layering with 'queso de Parma' nods to both Spanish colonial and Italian influences.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Mexican Cooking Manuscript de Diario del Hogar - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Mexican Cooking Manuscript de Diario del Hogar (1910)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1910

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful scrapbook of Mexican home cooking, this charming manuscript transforms an English grammar school notebook into a culinary time capsule. Handwritten lessons cozy up to clipped recipes from early 20th-century newspapers, serving up a flavorful blend of educational notes and savory secrets. A true window into the kitchens and tastes of historical Mexico.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

Sopa de Macarrón is a delightful fusion recipe from early 20th-century Mexico, as found in a 1910 handwritten and clipped hybrid notebook. At this time, Italian pasta dishes were entering Mexican home cooking, intermingling with established Spanish and indigenous flavors such as chorizo, roasted tomatoes, and pickled chiles. The recipe reflects both the advent of imported European foods—like Parma cheese and macaroni—and the locally available ingredients and methods, revealing an upper-middle-class or aspirational urban Mexican table, likely drawing inspiration from both Spanish colonial cookery and the cosmopolitan trends of 'El Porfiriato', the long rule of President Porfirio Díaz, when French and international cooking influenced Mexican tastes.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In 1910, this dish would be prepared in a wood or coal-fired kitchen, using large clay or metal cazuelas (wide, shallow pots), brass or copper saucepans, and wooden stirring spoons. Macaroni would be boiled in heavy pots, tomatoes roasted directly over an open flame or a comal (griddle), then crushed with a grinding stone (metate) or rolled pin. Layering took place in a buttered cazuela, with the dish gently steamed or simmered between two sources of heat, such as a stove below and small embers or a tin lid above, to mimic modern oven effects. Tongs and simple knives completed the mise en place.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

40 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 dried macaroni
Salt, to taste
14 oz ripe tomatoes (or substitute with a can of whole peeled tomatoes if necessary)
2 tablespoons lard or unsalted butter
3.5 oz Mexican or Spanish-style chorizo, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
3.5–5 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1.75 oz unsalted butter (for layering)
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
Fresh parsley, chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced (for garnish)
Pickled jalapeños or other chiles in vinegar, sliced (for garnish)

Instructions

Begin by boiling 9 oz of dried macaroni in abundant salted water until just barely al dente—firm to the bite.
Drain and set aside.
Roast about 14 oz of ripe tomatoes (jitomate) until their skins char and begin to split.
Peel and blend them into a sauce.
Heat 2 tablespoons of lard or unsalted butter in a skillet and fry about 3.5 oz of sliced chorizo into small rounds until well browned; remove and reserve.
In the same fat, fry the tomato sauce with 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt to taste.
Let it simmer for a few minutes until well seasoned.
Butter a deep baking dish or saucepan.
Begin layering: a layer of macaroni, then tomato sauce, plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3.5 oz per layer), small pieces of butter, and a scattering of fried chorizo.
Repeat layers, finishing with a thick blanket of Parmesan.
Pour over 1 cup light chicken or vegetable stock and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Cover and gently cook over low heat or in a moderate oven (325°F), letting flavors meld for 10-15 minutes.
When serving, garnish with slices of hard-boiled egg and pickled jalapeños or chiles en vinagre.

Estimated Calories

520 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 30 minutes to prepare the ingredients, including boiling pasta, roasting tomatoes, slicing chorizo, and grating cheese. Cooking takes about 40 minutes, covering the steps of making the sauce, assembling, baking, and allowing flavors to meld. Each serving has about 520 calories and the recipe makes 6 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.