Macaroni, spaghetti, vermicelli and noodles are generally known as Italian pastes. Most of them are quite un-suited for diet for the sick, although they make an agreeable starchy food for children, invalids and the aged. They must not however, be served baked with cheese; if cheese is added it must be freshly-grated Parmesan, put on after the macaroni is taken from the fire.

No matter what the final preparation is to be, the first cooking is always the same. Partly fill a large kettle with rapidly boiling salted water; throw in the macaroni or spaghetti, allow it to boil rapidly for thirty minutes, then drain and throw it into cold water, changing the water until it is perfectly cold. Allow it to stand for thirty minutes more, drain and it is ready to dress.

How To Heat In Cream Sauce

Make an ordinary cream sauce, add the spaghetti or macaroni, stand it over hot water until thoroughly heated, and serve, passing with it grated Parmesan.

Breakfast Spaghetti

Boil the night before the desired quantity of spaghetti, throw it into cold water and let it stand in a cold place over night. Next morning drain, cover it with boiling stock, simmer gently fifteen minutes, add a half saltspoonful of salt, take from the fire, add a teaspoonful of butter cut into bits, and serve on a heated dish.

This may be used in the place of a cereal.

Baked Macaroni

Boil the macaroni as directed, put it into cream sauce, turn into an individual casserole or ramekin dish and bake in a moderately hot oven until slightly browned.

Spaghetti, Italian Fashion

This can hardly be called a dish for the sick, but in cases of long invalid feeding where tomatoes are admissible, this dish is always palatable and appetizing.

Boil spaghetti as directed. Put a quarter of a pound of meat through the meat grinder, then into a. saucepan with a half pint of strained tomato, a teaspoonful of onion juice and a quarter of a teaspoonful of salt; cook and stir until boiling hot, push to the back of the stove and cook, covered, for fifteen minutes. Strain, pressing as much of the meat through the sieve as possible. Drain the spaghetti, add it to this sauce, heat carefully over hot water, turn into a heated serving dish, dust thickly with grated Parmesan and send to the table. If onion disagrees, omit it.