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Macaroni Pasta in Marinara Sauce – A Homestyle Favorite



We’re big pasta fans at home. At least once a month, we treat ourselves to a visit to an Italian restaurant just to enjoy a good plate of pasta. And of course, I love making it in my own kitchen too—so there’s always some tucked away in the pantry. Spaghetti, fettuccine, macaroni, fusilli, lasagna, ravioli, cannelloni, farfalle… we love them all. Pair any of these with a sauce—whether it’s Alfredo, Carbonara, Pesto, Marinara, or Arrabbiata—and you’ve got yourself the kind of cozy, satisfying meal that never fails to make everyone happy.

According to the International Pasta Organization, there are more than 600 different shapes of pasta produced throughout the world. Pasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, with the first reference dating to 1154 in Sicily. It is typically a noodle made from an unleavened dough of a durum wheat flour mixed with water or eggs and formed into sheets or various shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. 

Pastas may be divided into two broad categories, dried and fresh.
Most dried pasta is commercially produced via an extrusion process although it can be produced in most homes. Fresh pasta was traditionally produced by hand, sometimes with the aid of simple machines.

Pasta is generally a simple dish but comes in many varieties due to its versatility. Some pasta dishes are served as a first course in Italy because the portion sizes are small and simple. Pasta is also prepared in light lunches, such as salads or large portion sizes for dinner.  

Pasta sauces vary in taste, color and texture. These days pasta sauces are readily available in jars at the local supermarkets....so you can mix it up with the cooked pasta and you're good to go. 

Marinara sauce is one of the world’s great sauces. It's the sauce that’s made the most often, found on the most grocery shelves, and served in the most restaurants throughout the world. Homemade Marinara is the simplest of red sauces, made of very few ingredients — just olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and herbs. Onions are also sometimes listed as a basic ingredient. 

Marinara sauce originated in southern Italy in the 16th century when tomatoes, a New World food, arrived in Europe. Marinara comes from the Italian word marinaio, which means sailor. There are two explanations as to how the sauce came to be named for the sailors. 

One is that its ingredients – oil, tomato sauce, garlic and dried herbs – traveled well and didn’t spoil easily, as meat or fish did. The ingredients could be assembled quickly and easily, in about the same time it took pasta to cook, and the two together made a tasty, filling and inexpensive meal for men at sea.

A more romantic story holds that when sailors’ wives spotted homeward bound ships on the horizon, they hurried to make this sauce so their hungry men could have a hot meal the minute they walked in the door.

Macaroni with this sauce is hands‑down our kids’ favorite pasta dish, so that’s what I decided to make this time. The best part is how versatile the sauce is—it pairs beautifully with almost any kind of pasta, and it’s just as delicious layered into a lasagna or spread over a pizza.

So, here's the recipe:

Ingredients 

For the Marinara Sauce:
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped
3-4 tomatoes, pureed 
3-4 sprigs of fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Macaroni - 250 gms
5-6 black olives, pitted & sliced
3-4 chicken sausages, sliced

Method

In a saucepan, gently cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onion has softened.
Then mix in the tomato puree till it is cooked.  
If the tomatoes are too sour, you can add little bit of sugar, that's according to your taste. 
Season with salt and pepper and simmer, stirring frequently until it becomes a nice thick sauce.
Add a bit of red chilli flakes to this marinara and you'll have a spicy arabbiata sauce. 
Stir in the sausages and olives and mix well.
Cook the macaroni in plenty of salted water until cooked 'al dente', and then drain it. Then toss the macaroni in little olive oil so that it doesn't stick to each other. Plus it gives a nice glossy look. 
Serve it warm, with the thick sauce on top. Garnish with some torn fresh basil leaves. 

Ta da!!!! 
La pasta è servita

The sweetness of ripe tomatoes, the kick of chillies, the fragrance of fresh basil, the hearty bite of sausages, and the juiciness of the pasta—it all comes together perfectly in every mouthful.

It’s the kind of dish that makes dinner nights effortless yet satisfying: quick to cook, full of flavor, and ready in minutes.

And here’s a fun fact to leave you smiling—pasta really can make you happier! Thanks to the carbohydrates, your body produces more serotonin, the “feel‑good” neurotransmitter that boosts happiness and well‑being.

Bon appétit!

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