Although we are living in time of abundance and luxury, simple and time-tested treats are there for us, when we have no inspiration to create something new, or just simply want to enjoy something delicious we know from the childhood – just like this vegan potato macaroni recipe in my case.

This humble dish has been in my family for generations. My great grandmother made it, my grandmother and mother made it, and I also love to make it when the cold months settle in.

It is really a simple recipe; just a few ingredients combined in a perfect way, so I am pretty sure, you will love to make it as well. The main trick is quite simple: we fry the onions instead of sautéing it.

In the past, these vegan potato macaroni were usually made out of the leftover boiled russet potatoes, and I think that the recipe was invented by tries and errors until perfected simply by combining boiled potato from the day before with the common groceries my family had in the kitchen. But instead of macaroni, one kind of thick homemade pasta was kneaded in the morning, then dried until noon and cooked for lunch, while the potato dressing was made. I still remember my grandmother making that pasta she called halušky (the Slovak name for homemade dumplings); wooden table all dusty with flour, long stripes of pasta hanging from it, and my nana waiting for the dough to dry, so she could cut it in small pieces and boil it for the whole family favorite meal.

I still have the pasta recipe, but I realized that whenever I want to make this dish, the plain macaroni are just the right replacement for it.

One remark should be taken into consideration when making the vegan potato macaroni – they are packed with calories, so if you are on some kind of diet, just do not take another portion of this meal, but I must warn you – that is quite hard and almost impossible thing to do ;)

ingredients:

4 larger potatoes

1 large onion

2 cups dried macaroni

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons sweet paprika powder

10 tablespoons sunflower oil

tools:

peeler

knife

cutting board

2 cooking pots

larger heavy bottom skillet

wooden spatulas

colander or larger sieve

potato masher

Vegan Potato Macaroni Recipe:

Put whole potatoes in a cooking pot. If they are organic, leave it unpeeled, if not, peel them before cooking. Pour enough cold water over the potatoes to cover them. Turn the heat, bring to a boil and let it cook over medium heat until tender, for about 15 to 20 minutes – this depends on the type and size of potatoes. You should check during the cooking time, if they are done, by poking them with fork. If the fork enters easily, they are ready. Drain the potatoes and set aside to cool.

While the potatoes are cooking, mince two larger onions, heat sunflower oil in a skillet and fry (don’t sauté) over low heat for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown, with a brownish edges.

In the meantime, put the second large cooking pot on the stove with water. Let it boil, add about 1 teaspoon of salt and then macaroni. Cook it uncovered according to the package instructions, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat off, cover the pot and wait for about 5 minutes until you drain them and put them back into the empty pot. Cover them with two tablespoons of oil.

When the cooked potatoes are cool enough, peel them. Move them into the skillet with the onions and use the potato masher to mash them lightly. Do not mash them completely, as when making mashed potatoes – this potato dish tastes best when some smaller chunks of potatoes are left.

Move mixture into the pot with macaroni, add about 2 teaspoons salt, mix thoroughly together and season with sweet paprika powder. Serve hot with some nice fresh salad, or dill pickles.

Dobrú chuť!