Natalini in Brodo

Natalini, or maccheroni di Natale, are a long, smooth, hollow pasta associated with Genoa and the Ligurian Christmas table. Their ends are cut on the slant. The traditional broth serving keeps the tubes whole rather than snapping them into small pieces before cooking. Once cooked, the pasta becomes supple, with its open ends and curved length still apparent in the bowl.

The name maccheroni has other uses across Italian pasta. Short tubes and solid square-section maccheroni alla chitarra are different formats. When choosing natalini, look for the actual long hollow shape rather than relying on the word macaroni alone. The broth preparation depends on that particular pasta, not just on adding any tube shape to a festive soup.

The broth is prepared before the pasta is cooked in it. Capon supplies the broth in the Christmas preparation; some versions combine capon and beef in the broth. Another regional option uses the liquid from cooking cima alla genovese. These choices belong to particular preparations, with their own ingredients and directions.

Small sausage pieces or balls can accompany the natalini. In a capon-and-beef version, the broth is strained before the whole pasta and sausage are added. Follow the complete method for the broth, the specified sausage and the pasta, including the directions for your particular natalini. A time printed for another long tube, or a total time that includes making the broth, does not determine how this pasta should be cooked.

Serve the whole tubes in a bowl that holds the pasta and broth together. Their soft length may curve and overlap, while the hollow ends remain visible. Small sausage morsels sit among the tubes rather than becoming a filling inside every piece of pasta. The broth is part of the serving, so keep the pasta and liquid together when portioning.

Plan this as its own first course within the Christmas meal. Cima alla genovese and pandolce belong to the wider Ligurian table, while ravioli al tocco offer a different pasta choice. A festive menu does not need to turn all those preparations into one dish. Choose the broth and additions for the natalini you are actually serving.

Ask for natalini or maccheroni di Natale and inspect the long, smooth, hollow tubes. The local name and the visible format are more useful than a generic macaroni label. Retain the maker’s ingredient and cooking information, and handle the long pieces carefully if the chosen preparation calls for serving them unbroken.

Check the broth as well as the pasta. Capon, hen and a mixed capon-and-beef broth describe different preparations; keep the actual ingredients clear. If sausage accompanies the dish, retain its ingredient information too. The name natalini does not by itself establish the contents of the broth or a universal set of additions.

Uncooked pasta, prepared broth and a finished bowl have different handling needs. Follow the pasta-maker’s directions and the complete preparation used for the broth and sausage, including any chilling, cooking and serving instructions. Keep the ingredient information with a purchased broth or prepared dish. A make-ahead suggestion from one recipe does not provide storage guidance for every version.