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a plate of Macaroon bil Toum

Macaroon bi Toum Pasta

Maacaron bi toum is a traditional Lebanese dish of handmade noodles tossed together with garlic lemon sauce.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: lebanese, Middle Eastern
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Noodles
  • 1 lb about 3½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt for dough
  • 200 ml about 1 cup water, room temperature or slightly warm
For the Garlic Sauce (Toum)
  • 15 cloves fresh garlic
  • ⅔ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup fresh lemon juice from about 3-4 lemons
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Additional Ingredients
  • 2 medium potatoes peeled and cut into small cubes
  • 1 teaspoon salt for cooking water
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil for cooking water
For Serving
  • Fattoush or fresh salad to serve alongside

Method
 

For the Noodle Dough
  1. In a small cup, dissolve the yeast in about 1 tablespoon of warm water. Let it sit for a few minutes until slightly foamy to activate the yeast.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and 1 teaspoon of salt. Make a well in the center and add the dissolved yeast and about 200 ml (1 cup) of room temperature water.
  3. Mix with your hands until the dough starts to come together, then knead by hand for about 5 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic dough. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Adjust with more water or flour as needed.
  4. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 20-30 minutes (20 minutes in a warm room, 30 minutes in a cooler room).
Forming the Noodles
  1. Lightly flour your work surface. Pinch off a golf ball-sized portion of dough and roll it between your palms and the counter to form a long “snake” about ½ to ⅔ inch in diameter.
  2. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut the dough snake into pieces about 2 inches long.
  3. Take one piece of cut dough and place it on your work surface. Using your index finger, press down on the center of the dough piece and roll it toward yourself while applying gentle pressure.
  4. Continue forming all the noodles in this way and set them aside on a lightly floured surface or tray.
For the Garlic Sauce
  1. Peel all 15 garlic cloves. (You can lightly smash them with the flat side of a knife to make peeling easier.)
  2. Add the garlic cloves and ⅔ teaspoon of salt to a food processor. Process until the garlic is very finely minced, almost a paste. Scrape down the sides as needed.
  3. With the food processor running on medium speed, begin adding the lemon juice and olive oil in a very slow, thin stream, alternating between the two. Start with a small amount of lemon juice, then a small amount of oil, then more lemon juice, then more oil.
  4. Continue until all the lemon juice and oil are incorporated. The sauce should be smooth, creamy, and pale - somewhere between a thick liquid and a thin paste. If too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of water. If too thin, add a bit more oil while blending.
Cooking the Noodles
  1. Fill a large pot with several cups of water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Bring to a full, rolling boil over high heat.
  2. Add the cubed potatoes to the boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes to give them a head start.
  3. Lower the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Add the handmade noodles one handful at a time, stirring gently after each addition to prevent sticking.
  4. Cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender all the way through and the potatoes are fully cooked.
Final Steps
  1. When the noodles and potatoes are cooked, drain them thoroughly in a colander. Shake well to remove excess water but don’t rinse.
  2. Immediately transfer the hot, drained noodles and potatoes to a large serving bowl. While they’re still very hot, add all of the garlic sauce and toss vigorously for 1-2 minutes to coat every piece evenly.
  3. Serve immediately while hot, alongside fattoush or another fresh salad.

Notes

Equipment