Macaroni penguin is a shallow scrape in the ground which may be lined with some pebbles, stones, or grass, or nestled in a clump of tussock grass (on South Georgia Island). Nests are densely packed, ranging from around 66 cm apart in the middle of a colony to 86 cm at the edges. A fertile macaroni penguin will lay two eggs each breeding season. The first egg to be laid weighs , 61–64% the size of the second, and is extremely unlikely to survive. The two eggs together weigh 4.8% of the mother's body weight; the composition of an egg is 20%
Macaroni pie (and optionally onion) is added, thus creating a "lihamakaronilaatikko" (literally, meat-macaroni casserole). The casserole may be topped before baking with breadcrumbs and grated cheese and/or knobs of butter, to form a crunchy crust. "Makaronilaatikko" is typically served with tomato ketchup and pickles such as gherkins. Pastitsio is a type of macaroni pie in Greek cuisine prepared using elbow macaroni noodles and various additional ingredients. In Italian cuisine the macaroni pie () is a traditional dish in several cities, with a long tradition originating from the "pastizzi" prepared by the chefs active in the Italian courts of the Renaissance: the most