The Macaroni Family

"Stuck a feather in his cap and called it---Macaroni" So says the song "Yankee Doodle." When I was growing up we ate macaroni. It didn't matter if it was elbow macaroni, rigatoni, spaghetti, angel hair or noodles. It was all called macaroni. Then several years later...somewhere in the 1970's the name got switched to "pasta" and the prices went up considerably. Similar to wearing a shirt off the rack at a discount store or having a designer shirt. I guess "pasta" is designer macaroni. Call it something else, increase the price and it becomes the "in" thing!

The two hundred year old song "Yankee Doodle" was sort of prophetic. Today macaroni is as American as the song yet its origins are ancient. Most of us think of macaroni or pasta as being Italian. Actually the Chinese were eating--and writing about macaroni as early as 5,000 BCE! The honor of the name "macaroni" goes back to an un-named thirteenth century king. When he tasted it he exclaimed, "Ma Caroni!" which meant, "How very dear."

Italians call it "pasta"--we group all members of this family under the name macaroni, whatever the size or shape. The complete list is way too long, but macaroni is a wonderful base for an innumerable amount of delicious dishes.

HOW TO COOK MACARONI: Some people like macaroni quite tender, other prefer it firm or "al dente" as the Italian say. As a general rule, cooking directions on the package should be followed, but try to avoid overcooking it.

To cook 8 ounces of macaroni, add 1 tablespoon of salt to 3 quarts of boiling water. Add the macaroni slowly, so that the water does not stop boiling. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally with a long-handled fork to prevent sticking, until the macaroni is tender. If you wish, you can add a tablespoon of cooking oil to the water to keep strands separate and keep the bubbles to a minimum.
When the macroni is done, drain it at once in a colander or large sieve. There is no need to rinse the pasta.

HOW MUCH TO COOK: Macaroni and spaghetti will double in volume when cooked. Egg noodles do not increase in bulk. Eight ounces of macaroni and spaghetti will make six servings after cooking. The same weight of egg noodles will make four servings.

If you are interested in making your own macaroni/pasta the following recipe should do nicely:

HOMEMADE NOODLE DOUGH:
About 2 cups sifted enriched flour;
1/2 tsp salt;
2 eggs;
2 or 3 teaspoons cold water

Sift flour with salt into mixing bowl or onto a board. Make a "well" in the center. Drop in eggs and combine with a fork, adding spoonfuls of water as necessary to form a ball of dough that is compact but not hard. Knead dough until it is as smooth and elastic as possible, about 5 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured board. Use the rolling pin from the outer edges toward the center, turning the board as necessary for easier rolling. When the dough is rolled evenly thin, let stand 20 minutes in order to dry so it will not stick together when rolled up.

Roll up lightly and use a very sharp knife to slice 1/8 or 1/4 inch thick. Toss the noodles lightly to separate them and spread on lightly floured surface. Let dry thoroughly at room temperature, about 2 hours, then store in covered jars.

Note:Don't try to make noodle dough in damp weather, especially if you're new at it.

To cook homemade noodles:
Drop by handfuls into boiling soup or boiling, salted water and cook for 10 minutes.

SPINACH NOODLES:
1/4 cup spinach, cooked, drained and pureed
1 beaten egg
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups sifted enriched flour

Combine spinach, egg and salt. Stir flour in gradually. Knead until smooth. Place dough in a covered dish for 1/2 hour. Roll into paper thin sheets and spread out on cloths to dry. Before they are too dry to handle, fold over into a roll and cut into very thin shreds. Toss apart and permit them to dry thoroughly. Store in a glass jar until ready to use.

Other recipes can be found at ruddysrecipes.blogspot.com