pastina

Pastina means “tiny pasta,” and it’s often the first pasta shape Italian children are introduced to, typically cooked in broth. Pastina comes in a variety of shapes, like little stars and rounds. For this recipe, you can use any tiny shape you like, or use noodles broken into small pieces. Typically, the pastina is precooked in a separate pot and added to each soup bowl alongside shredded chicken, but this version cooks everything together for an easy one-pot meal. And this comforting chicken soup does not require premade or even store-bought broth: Instead, boneless, skinless chicken breasts cook in water with aromatics like onion, carrots, celery and garlic — and a good drizzle of olive oil — for a rich, flavorful broth that comes together fairly quickly.

Brodo di Pollo con Pastina (Chicken Soup With Pastina)

chicken breasts (about 1 pound)

yellow onion, thinly sliced

olive oil

salt

garlic powder

black pepper

carrots,

celery ribs, sliced into ¼-inch half moons

garlic cloves, finely chopped

tomato paste

pastina,

parsley

Parmesan,

Place the chicken and 10 cups of water in a large pot. Partly cover and bring to a boil over high heat, keeping a close eye so that it doesn’t overflow and skimming off any foam that rises to the top.

Add the onion, olive oil, salt, garlic powder and pepper; stir and allow to come back up to a gentle boil. Cover completely, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, garlic and tomato paste, stirring to incorporate the tomato paste. I ncrease the heat to high and allow to come back up to a gentle boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as desired.

Remove the cooked chicken and place in a large bowl. Add the pastina to the soup, stir and increase the heat to high and allow to come back up to a gentle boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the pasta according to the package instructions for al dente, stirring occasionally.

While the pasta cooks, shred the chicken with a fork. Add the shredded chicken and parsley to the soup, stir, cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Serve topped with grated Parmesan.

Made with simple ingredients like butter and milk, this recipe for pastina is total Italian comfort food. It&#039;s a favorite of children and adults alike!

Classic Italian Pastina

chicken broth ((8 oz), or water)

dry pastina ((3 oz))

tbsp butter, (salted

tbsp warm milk, (more or less to taste)

black pepper, (to taste)

Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, (optional (to taste))

Add broth or water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add pastina and stir. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until just about all of the liquid has been absorbed.

Towards the end of the pastina cook time, add milk to a small heat-safe bowl and heat it for 15-20 seconds in the microwave, or until warmed.

Once the pastina has absorbed about all of the liquid, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the butter and warmed milk. Stir until the butter has melted and the milk is mixed in evenly.

If desired, add salt, pepper, and grated cheese to taste.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1586555496/mwyv8ddqzburtzfknltx.mp4

Made with simple ingredients like butter and milk, this recipe for pastina is total Italian comfort food. It’s a favorite of children and adults alike!

Pastina is an old family classic that will become a favorite in your household too! It&#039;s an Italian classic comfort food that makes a perfect side dish, lunch for the kiddos, or even a lighter full meal! 

Patina (Acini de Pepe) Recipe

oz Pastina pasta (1 box, see note)

chicken broth

water (extra may be needed)

mozarella cheese (shredded)

parmesan cheese

egg (room temperature is best, see note)

pepper

parsley (fresh chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried)

lemon juice (fresh squeezed)

Measure 2 cups of broth and 2 cups of water into a saucepan. Add the pastina and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. 

You will not be draining the pasta, so check the liquid level frequently and add more as needed.

When the pasta is mostly cooked, there should be a small amount of liquid left in the pan.&nbsp;

Add the rest of the ingredients, besides the lemon juice, and stir until the cheese is melted and everything is combined. 

There will be streaks of cooked egg white in the pastina, that is normal.&nbsp;

Squeeze in the juice from half of a lemon, stir, and taste. Adjust seasonings and lemon to your taste. I like a lot of lemon&nbsp;juice.&nbsp;

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1616470228/hmntm5d8t3t9dfxuibtl.mp4

Pastina is an old family classic that will become a favorite in your household too! It's an Italian classic comfort food that makes a perfect side dish, lunch for the kiddos, or even a lighter full meal!

Pastina

Pastina with egg is a traditional Italian comfort food that uses just a few simple ingredients. Topped with crispy prosciutto, this easy recipe is done in less than 20 minutes and is a hit with both adults and young children alike.

Pastina with Egg

prosciutto

eggs (slightly beaten)

Heat a pot over medium heat on the stovetop and gently rip the prosciutto into thin pieces and add to the pot.

Cook, stirring frequently until the prosciutto is crispy, about 5-6 minutes. Remove it from the pot and allow it to drain on a paper towel.

Add the chicken broth to the pot and bring it to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pot to remove any stuck on bits.

Mix in the pastina and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is al dente, about 6-7 minutes. The mixture should be thickened with little to no liquid left.

Remove the pot off of the heat and slowly add 1/2 cup of the pastina with the beaten eggs, stirring constantly.

Add the egg mixture back to the pot, stirring constantly, until it is completely incorporated.

Mix in the parmesan cheese and black pepper and serve the pastina topped with the crispy prosciutto pieces.

Pastina with Egg is a simple italian dish made from pastina pasta, chicken broth, butter, egg, and parmesan. Pastina is creamy and comforting!

Chicken Pastina with Egg

pastina pasta (or some other similarly small pasta shape)

butter

cheese

black pepper (to taste)

salt (to taste)

In a small saucepan or pot, add broth and bring it up to a soft boil.

Add pastina to the broth and simmer until cooked through and the broth is almost completely absorbed, about 7 minutes. You may have to add more broth depending on how much has been absorbed.

Once the pastina pasta is cooked through, turn off the heat and add one whole egg to the pan. Gently and quickly fold the egg in so that it combines with the stelline pasta and doesn&#39;t scramble in too big of pieces.

Add butter and cheese and allow them to melt. Top with more cheese, salt and black pepper, if desired.

Pastina is Italy’s ultimate comfort food. It’s buttery, cheesy and silky and will cure any ailment.

chicken stock (1 Litre)

pecorino romano

In a medium sized pot on a high heat, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the pastina and butter to the chicken stock and immediately turn the heat down to low - medium. Continuously stir the pastina until it’s plump and has absorbed 80% of the liquid. 

Take the pastina off the heat, season to taste with salt and stir through the cheese . Finish off with a sprinkling of extra cheese and drizzle of olive oil

This was truly the best thing I have EVER eaten. The first time I made it, I realized too late that my Parmesan block was spoiled, so I had to use grated parm/romano, which I do not recommend. The cheese just curdled and didn't actually melt down. The next day I bought a fancy block of Pecorino Romano and tried again, it was literally to die for. I also used finishing salt and smashed it down and used that as my salt at the end, and that kicked the flavor up a few notches. Other than that, I kept the recipe exactly as is and this will be my forever go to!!

Loved this recipe, sharing with all my friends.

How would you go about using fresh pastina? Would I follow the same steps?

Reminds me of my childhood. Thank you. Perfect

https://daenskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Pastina-VO.mp4

Pastina VO

The coziest pastina soup with vegetable-spiked chicken broth and parmesan cheese. This easy weeknight recipe takes one pot and is on your table in just 30 minutes!  Serve with crusty bread and a crisp fresh salad.

Pastina Soup

onion,

celery ribs, (sliced into large pieces)

parmesan rind ((about 2-inches long))

Kosher salt

parsley leaves, (for garnish)

Grated parmesan cheese, (for serving)

Simmer the broth. In a large pot with a lid, stir together the broth, onion, carrots, celery, parmesan rind, and a pinch of salt. Turn the heat to high to bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cover. Simmer until the vegetables are very tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Puree the vegetables. Discard the parmesan rind, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to a food processor. Add a couple ladles of the broth and blend until the vegetables are fully smooth. Scrape the purreed vegetables back into the pot.

Boil the pasta. Turn the heat to high to bring the broth to a boil. Once boiling, stir in the pastina. Cook until the pasta is tender, about 3 minutes or so. Remove the soup from the heat.

Serve. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning, adding more salt if it tastes flat. Ladle the pastina into serving bowls. Finish each bowl with a sprinkle of parsley and grated parmesan cheese and serve hot.

Hi! Did you mean baking soda instead of baking powder? I'm curious to try your suggestions but my gut is telling me soda instead of powder. Thanks for the tip!

Delicious!  This is a keeper. 

My family is recovering from Covid and this hit the spot.  I made a double batch of the broth and am going to freeze it in soup cubes to have on hand for lunches.   I love that you can adjust the pasta for dietary preferences.  To cut back on carbs and calories, I halved the pasta,  1/8 cup of acini de pepe in a cup of the broth, (added a little water while boiling the broth to account for evaporating), but it was still thick and satisfying! 💕

I also used my immersion blender, and it worked great.

PS Nod: YES, pasta soaks up EVERY molecule of moisture!!! When I pack up leftovers, I pack the soup/veggie recipes separate, and cook the pasta separately. I serve it with 1/4 c. pasta in the bowl and hot soup over, and I serve leftovers wtih soup in the container, and a snack-sized Ziploc with 1/4 c. past in it!!!Get the soup nice and hot, and add pasta; don't worry about heating the pasta separately!!! You're welcome! :)

I must own laziness, here... I create the broth with larger hunks of vegetables, but then use an immersion blender to get it all into tiny manageable bits. One could also use a food processor/cuisinart to pulse the veggies prior to beginning the stock... but, again, I'm a bit lazy procedurally, and haven't found a noticeable outcome UNLESS directions call for sauteeing veggies with spices, etc. (Then, I do NOT short-cut!!) , prior to adding pasta (frequently it's ditalini or acini de bebe, when I cannot find stars, though sometimes my grocer carries ABCs...Regardless. Small pasta...Even shells...). Makes no difference, heck, you could use rice. It's the FLAVOR that's to die for!!! I typically DO double the recipe as I cook for multiple folks. YES, the BASE may be frozen, but then thaw and bring to boiling BEFORE you add pasta. DO NOT freeze with pasta included; it disintegrates and turn to an awful mush texture!!! So, boil base: yes. THEN FREEZE, if you're freezing. Freeze after adding pasta/rice/starch/grain: NO!!!! lol Ask me how I know this!!! lol

This, with a grilled cheese on hearty bread with a sharp cheddar, havarti, and fabulous smoke ham??? Prepare to swoon!!! If you want to make it a "bisque," Add 2 t of Baking Powder (stir until it quite foaming), and diced tomatoes, along with a splash of 1/2-1/2 or whole milk. Both are delicious and original doesn't need to be altered; just for some folks who may be East Coast and prefer a bisque take on a classic!!! Don't omit the Baking Powder; it neutralizes the acid in the tomatoes, and lets it join the party without separating!! :)

I can't believe how much flavor this simple soup has! It is delicious and I make it often.

Absolutely delectable! My husband and I will be making this forever. I’m half Italian, and this pastina is the best! I’d like to share a pic, but don’t see that option.

So good and picky toddler approved!!!!
I did what other suggested and added garlic and some Italian seasoning. Will definitely make again

Made this easy soup  while the family was recovering from being sick.   It was just what we needed to feel better !   Next time I will make the pasta separately , as others said since the pasta soaks up the broth and had to add more broth.    Comfort food indeed !

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/oFHqsAM0.mp4

This cozy Pastina Soup is ready in 30-minutes! The perfect easy weeknight dinner.

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The most viewed pastina recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine