Why it works: Butter and bread are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,232 recipes. Both carry delta-decalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Macaroni, No. 2
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Boil the macaroni in water with salt until cooked.
Drain the macaroni and rinse with cold water.
Assemble
Layer the macaroni in a baking dish.
Sprinkle a layer of grated parmesan cheese, salt, and butter on top.
Repeat layers until the dish is full.
Top with bread crumbs and butter.
Bake
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 30 to 45 minutes, or until done.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Butter + breadtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,232 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Parmesan cheese + buttertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,163 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Parmesan cheese + breadtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together577 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Macaroni
- Forms the bulk of the dish and gives the baked body its structure.
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Adds savory, salty flavor and helps the layers brown and crisp.
- Butter
- Adds richness and moisture, and helps the topping brown in the oven.
- Bread crumbs
- Forms a crisp, golden topping that contrasts with the soft pasta.
The step that matters
Rinse the macaroni only briefly. Rinsing cooked pasta with cold water stops carryover cooking but also washes off surface starch that helps sauces and cheese cling. Drain well so excess water does not make the baked dish soggy.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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