Esther White Parr was my grandmother's sister, one year older than her. They were the two youngest of the five children that lived in the family. They were born in Turkey because my great grandfather was a Congregationalist Missionary to Turkey, running Anatolia College until it moved to Greece in 1917. My grandmother was 16 years old when the family was forcibly escorted out of Turkey.
This is a one pan pasta dish.
1 pound sausage or 1/2 pound sausage + 1/2 pound ground beef or 1 pound portobello mushrooms
1 large onion chopped
1 large can of tomatoes
water
1/2 tsp oregano (or whatever spices you like).
hot chili peppers or canned green chilis or chili powder
1 pound of elbow macaroni
I use my cast iron frying pan for this recipe.
Saute the sausage/ground beef/mushrooms until browned. If you only use mushrooms, you will need to use an oil to cook them in. Drain excess fat but leave some in the pan for the onions.
Saute the onion until soft or caramelized, as you prefer.
Add the sausage/ground beef/mushrooms back in the pan. Add the large can of tomatoes. Break them up a little if they aren't chopped.
Add the pound of pasta.
Add any herbs. Add the chilis if dried, but for canned green chilis, I add them at the end.
Sausage may be salty enough that you don't need to salt and pepper much.
Add enough water that it covers everything with a little to spare.
Bring this to a boil but not quickly. Medium or medium low. Otherwise the pasta may stick and burn. Stir it every so often.
Boil until pasta is done. The water should cook down and be absorbed by the pasta. You may need to add a little more water.
My great aunt Estie would add sour cream or yohgurt at the table.
Enjoy!