Skip to content

Meat, South and mountains

Sète style macaronade with beef and sausage

Sète style macaronade is a slow cooked dish of big macaroni coated in tomato sauce, with beef paupiettes and Toulouse sausage. It serves 4, takes 2.5 hours, is rated medium difficulty, and costs about €3.70 per person. The key to success is simmering the meats right in the sauce, so they flavor it for hours.

Macaronade from Sète, big macaroni in a slow simmered tomato sauce with beef paupiettes and sausage.

Sète style macaronade with beef and sausage
Total time
2 h 30
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.70
Calories per person
780 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Sète style macaronade is a tomato sauce that takes its time. Beef paupiettes and Toulouse sausage simmer together for an hour and a half, releasing their juices and fat into the sauce until it turns rich and deep. The big macaroni, cooked al dente, finishes soaking up that sauce before being served alongside the meats and a generous shower of grated gruyere.

This is a Sunday dish, or one for a day when you have time to let it simmer without watching it. Kids love the big macaroni and the mild tomato sauce, while adults enjoy the tender meat and the depth the red wine brings. Make it on a quiet fall or winter day, the simmering pot will warm up the whole kitchen.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Beef paupiettes 4
  • Toulouse sausages 4

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onions 2
  • Garlic 3 cloves

Pantry

  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 800 g
  • Red wineoften in the pantry 15 cl
  • Big macaronioften in the pantry 320 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Grated gruyere 60 g

Allergens Gluten, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Brown the paupiettes and sausages in a pot with the olive oil. 10 min

    Prick the sausages so they don't burst.

  2. Add the onions and garlic, then deglaze with the red wine. 5 min

    Scrape up the browned bits well, they give the sauce its color.

  3. Pour in the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, cover and let simmer over very low heat. 1 h 30

    Stir occasionally so the sauce doesn't catch on the bottom.

  4. Cook the macaroni in salted water. 12 min

    Cook the macaroni al dente, they finish cooking in the sauce.

  5. Serve the macaroni coated in sauce, with the meats and the grated gruyere.

    Put some gruyere under the sauce, it melts without going rubbery.

Our tips to get it right

  • Use a heavy bottomed pot, it spreads heat more evenly and keeps the sauce from catching during the long simmer.
  • Don't rush the simmering step, it's the long, very low heat that tenderizes the paupiettes and concentrates the flavor of the sauce.
  • Save a bit of the macaroni cooking water, it lets you loosen the sauce if it has reduced too much by serving time.

The variations

  • Swap the Toulouse sausage for Montbéliard sausage for a smokier flavor.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the meats and add button mushrooms and black olives to give the sauce more body.
  • For a quicker version for kids, use smaller macaroni, they cook faster and are easier to eat.

What to serve it with

  • A green salad with a sharp vinaigrette
  • Crusty bread for soaking up sauce
  • A glass of red wine from Languedoc

Storage

The macaronade keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well, sauce and meats together, for about 2 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a little water if the sauce has thickened too much.

Questions about this dish

Can you make macaronade ahead of time?

Yes, the sauce with the meats can be made a day ahead and actually tastes better after resting. Cook the macaroni right before serving so it stays firm.

Can you substitute the beef paupiettes?

You can use beef stew cuts like chuck, cut into large cubes. The cooking time stays the same, and the sauce will be just as flavorful.

Why cook the paupiettes directly in the sauce?

That's what gives the dish its full flavor. The meat releases its juices during the simmer, making the sauce richer and rounder.

What kind of macaroni works best for this recipe?

Choose big macaroni, it holds up well during cooking and catches the sauce in its hollow center. Thin macaroni would turn too soft after the long simmer.

How long does it take to make a Sète style macaronade?

Count 2 h 30 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a Sète style macaronade?

About 780 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Sète style macaronade cost?

About €3.70 per serving, or €14.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

Cuisine from the South and the mountains

See all

Beef recipes

See all