Pepper (Cook macaroni in boiling)

A clear soup finished with pasta, of the sort that closed out a stockpot at the end of the week. No quantities are given, so the proportions are yours to set.

• ProportionsAllow about 1 oz (30 g) dry macaroni per serving in 1 to 1 1/4 cups of stock. More than that and you have a pasta dish sitting in a little broth rather than a soup.
• Cook the pasta separately, and mean itThe instruction to boil and drain before adding is the hinge of the recipe. Cooking macaroni directly in the stock releases starch that clouds a clear consommé and thickens it unpleasantly as it stands.
• Timing"Until soft" reflects a period preference for fully tender pasta. Modern dried macaroni takes 8-10 minutes; pull it a minute short of the package time, since it will sit in hot stock before serving.
• Salted waterSalt the pasta water, but season the finished soup only after combining, since salted pasta and a well-seasoned stock together can easily overshoot.
• The stockThe recipe says only 'stock', and the quality of the soup rests entirely on it. Commercial broth is usually thinner and saltier than a homemade one; a low-sodium carton, reduced a little, comes closer.
• "Italian pastes"An older umbrella term for dried semolina pasta of any shape. Small soup shapes -- ditalini, small shells, broken spaghetti, stelline -- suit this better than long strands.
• ServingServe immediately in hot bowls. Pasta held in broth keeps swelling and turns slack. Grated hard cheese at the table would not be out of place, though the recipe does not call for it.