This past Friday night saw us lying low after a long Holiday (Sukkot and Simchat Torah) and as such we made a nice and simple meal that hit the spot. It is called Macarona Maknekesh – which is a Tunisian pasta recipe that hails from their earlier Italian roots. The recipe is really quite simple. It is essentially a macaroni/pasta and lentil concoction that is served hot. It melds classic Italian styling with a nice dose of Mediterranean flavors and textures.
1 oz of olive oil
2 diced onions
8 oz sliced mushrooms
salt
pepper
cumin
basil
1 lb of lentils
28 oz of tomato sauce
1 lb macaroni or pasta of your choice
Fry the diced onion in the olive oil until browned. Throw in a bit of salt to help the onions release their liquid. Then throw in the mushrooms and brown them as well, with a bit of salt as well. Once browned, throw in the lentils and sauté them until all the liquid has been soaked in. Cover with water and bring to boil. Once the lentils are totally cooked (some 45 minutes), place the tomato sauce in the pot and let simmer until the flavors meld. Once the sauce and lentils look right, throw in the pasta/macaroni and add water or wine if necessary. It takes some tries to get the water content correct, but it is worth the effort.
I had hoped the wine would pair well with the dinner, but it was an unfortunate disappointment. The wine felt unbalanced and almost muted, with the nose being the shining star of the wine.
The wine note follows below:
2006 Baron Herzog Zin Gris Lodi – Score: B
The nose on this bright rose colored wine is the best part of the wine. It starts with cranberry, raspberry, strawberry, floral notes, and bright acidity. The mouth on this light to medium bodied wine is soft with raspberry, strawberry, and tart unbalanced fruit. The mid palate has a bit of acidity and more tart fruit that do not help to balance the wine. The finish is medium long with tart fruit that lingers on the palate. There is also a bit of almost green tea on the finish that really throws the wine. Quite a shame, as the nose starts off so promising.
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