Poor Man's Pasta

Now my daughters, nieces, and cousins' families come to my home to eat this food and learn how to make it. It always hits the spot. We are all living better then we have ever lived with everybody working and owning homes, businesses, and having things I never dreamed we would have.

We still make this meal, and it sure brings back wonderful memories from when I was little. We now enjoy and talk about old days and new days as we eat our "poor man's food" as we call it. We are blessed.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups elbow macaroni or shells any size except large ones.
• 9-10 cups boiling water
• half of 1/3 cup onion
• half of 1/3 cup bell pepper (optional)
• half of a medium potato, cut in small cubes (optional)
• 1 tsp. garlic, or to your taste
• 1 tsp. cumin, or to taste being careful as it is very spicy
Advertisement


• 1 (6 oz. can) tomato paste
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 slice cheese (optional)

Directions:

Brown the pasta (very browned) in 3 teaspoons cooking oil or olive oil. Boil 9-10 cups water (as you are browning the pasta). Add water to pasta, then add garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. Add tomato paste, stirring as you add it. Add potato, bell pepper, and onion.

Cook for 25 minutes. Do not let it get depleted of water. If needed, have boiling water ready to add and boil for another 5 minutes. Add 1 slice cheese to the food 5 minutes before it's done, unless you want to let everyone add cheese to their food as it's served.

Serve in a bowl with homemade pinto beans, ranch style beans, or pork and beans. We also like to eat this with French bread, regular bread, or good hot flour tortillas!

Source: This is from my family, Estrada. We've been cooking this meal for over 50 years, as I am now 59, and I was about 2 years old when my mom started cooking it for us. I am sure my grandma cooked this for my mom and her brothers and sisters.

By carmenr from Houston, TX