Hi, desdwellers! Don't know if this is what you're looking for, but we used to make a concoction we called "Chilimac".
Sausage, 1 pound
Onion, 1 large, chopped
Chili powder, 1 tbsp or to taste
Tomatoes, 1 large can (back then, that meant 33 ounces and just TRY to find that size now
so use 2 or 3 14-oz cans).
Elbow macaroni, however much it takes
Water, ditto
Place sausage in a 3 or 4-quart pan, set on cold burner, turn on heat to medium, stomp sausage w/potato masher, leave to brown while you chop onion, which add when sausage is half done. Keep the potato masher going until sausage is broken into small pieces, is browned, and onions are translucent. Drain off fat and stir in chili powder.
Add tomatoes, and if they're not already chopped, stomp them too.
Add water to fill pan about halfway to top.
Add enough macaroni to take up the liquid- probably about half as much macaroni as liquid. Stir, cover, bring to boil, stir again, lower heat to a tad above low, cover, cook until macaroni is done.
Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
This is the way we made it when I was a kid; today I add chopped garlic along with the onion and dump in Tabasco, basil, etc etc according to my mood of the moment.
As you can see, this is a VERY flexible recipe! BTW, that pound of sausage will easily flavor twice the amount of other ingredients given here.
Hope this gives you at least a place to start.
!
