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Macaroni with Broth
Take a small quantity of real Italian macaroni, and boil it in water till it is just tender. Drain the water off on a hair sieve; then put the macaroni into a stewpan with some of the broth, and let it simmer for five or six minutes; season with a little salt, if preferred.
A two-step method from the invalid-cookery chapter: pasta cooked in water, then finished in broth so it takes up flavour without clouding the soup. It still works as a light supper for someone unwell.
- "Real Italian macaroni"At the time this meant imported durum-wheat pasta, as against softer domestic imitations then on sale. Any good dried tubular pasta answers; the tubes were often sold long and snapped into short lengths before boiling.
- Hair sieveA sieve of woven horsehair, used for straining. A colander or fine mesh strainer does the same job.
- StewpanA saucepan with a lid, usually fairly broad. Use a small saucepan or saute pan wide enough to hold the pasta in a single layer.
- Undercook the first boilSince the pasta goes on cooking and swelling in the broth, it is worth stopping the first boil on the firm side of "just tender".
- The brothThe recipe does not say what broth, only that some is at hand. Use a light, well-skimmed, unsalted or lightly salted stock so the five or six minutes of simmering does not concentrate it into something harsh.
- Quantity and yieldNo amounts are given. About 2 oz (55 g) dried pasta and 1 to 1 1/2 cups broth makes one invalid's portion; serve in a warmed bowl with the broth still loose around the pasta.
- SeasoningSalt is left to the cook's discretion ("if preferred"). If you do season, salt the broth rather than the pasta water.