The old stories

The First Boil, the Great Draining, and the Lost Recipe the elders still whisper about.

Every Macaroni child grows up on the same half-dozen legends. Ricky Macaroni knows them all — and tells them better than almost anyone.

The First Boil

In the beginning, say the elders, the First Kneaders mixed flour and water under a lucky moon and lowered the first pasta into the first pot. When it floated, perfectly tender, they wept with joy — and Pastalia was born.

The Great Draining

When the valley flooded in the dim past, the First Kneaders lifted the whole harvest out of the water in a colander the size of a barn. The Golden Colander still hangs in Al Dente's Great Hall, or so the guides claim.

The Lost Recipe

The most famous legend of all: the First Kneaders wrote down one perfect recipe — the sauce that could make anyone friends — and hid it where only the worthy would look. Treasure hunters have chased it for generations. None with more enthusiasm than one eccentric penne storyteller.

The Prophecy of the Perfect Bite

"When the valley's hungriest heart shares its table, the Perfect Bite will be tasted again." Grandmothers quote it whenever someone tries to eat alone.