In wintertime, Novalja hosts the traditional “Makarunijada”, a festivity of making pasta. All restaurants in Novalja carefully preserve their heritage of pasta dishes, presenting a rich offer of macaroni meals. We present you the traditional kitchen of Novalja in preparing needle macaroni – proud owners of the label of Croatian Island Product, prepared in accordance with the recipe of Chef Matija Bregeš from Boškinac hotel, restaurant and winery.
Would you like to escape to a place full of great aromatic odours, such as sage and heather? Would you like to immerse into a sweet dream under the baldachin close to the dense pine forest, at the edge of the vineyards and olive gardens? Please, be careful with your wishes, as there is a place that causes permanent dependence, regardless of whether it is an explosion of taste, the scent of vine and salt or the wonderful view on the Novalja field reflecting the peace of past centuries. In the newly renovated hotel and restaurant Boškinac, you can feel all the flavours and smells of the island of Pag. Enjoy at your home with the island in your thoughts and prepare the Novalja art needle macaroni in accordance with the traditional recipe of the family Šuljić even today…
Lamb gravy with Novalja needle macaroni
Gravy for 4: 1 tablespoon of lard, 4 medium shallots, 600 g of boneless lamb leg, 1 tablespoon of tomato concentrate, 1 teaspoon of homemade plum marmalade, Pinch of cinnamon, 2 cloves, 200 ml red wine, 200 ml vegetable stock, Pinch of salt and pepper. Cheese of Pag (Paški sir) and garnishing chives.
Novalja needle macaroni for 4: 4 cups of flour, 1 yolk, 1 egg, ¼ cup of butter, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, Pinch of salt, Water
Preparation:
Gravy: Add shallots to lard stewing them until they reach a light golden colour, add meat chopped in small cubes. Stew meat till all the liquid evaporates. Add tomato concentrate and before all gets fried add red wine and cloves. Stew well for another 15 minutes and, after alcohol evaporated, add vegetable stock and one by one the other ingredients: salt, pepper and cinnamon. Stew all together for another 15 minutes. At the end add plum marmalade and cook it all well for another 15 minutes.
Needle macaroni: Prepare nice and soft dough from all the ingredients and let it rest up to half of an hour in a fridge. Small pieces of dough press flat in the palm of your hands and roll them onto the knitting needle or wooden stick maintaining a hole in the centre of the pasta. Usually, we serve them in a length of 3 to 4,5 inches. In a large pot pour 1 gallon of water and let it boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add macaroni into the boiled water stirring them lightly so they don’t stick to the bottom. After they rise to the surface leave them for another minute and then serve. Use French spoon for serving the meal, about 0,5 oz of macaroni for one plate and pour over with grave, cheese of Pag, (paški sir) and chives or parsley. Good appetite.
Author: https://visitnovalja.hr/, Hotel, Restaurant and Winery Boškinac, Chef Matija Bregeš
