Pastina
Pastina is like half soup, half pasta. My Italian boyfriend introduced me to it because I’d never had it before. When his mom made it for me, I loved it and realized how simple it is to make. I like my pastatina more on the soupy side than brothy. It’s my favorite thing to eat when I’m sick, but honestly, it’s just delicious anytime. It kind of reminds me of cacio e pepe, but in soup form. It’s all made in one pot, and you can add whatever veggies you have on hand. I wanted to add spinach, but didn’t have any.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup peas
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 quarts chicken broth
1 parmesan rind (about 2–3 inches)
1 cup pastina
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
½ cup grated parmesan, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat.
Add onions, peas, and carrots and cook until they start to sweat and soften, about 4–6 minutes.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Pour in the chicken broth, add the parmesan rind, and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20–25 minutes until the broth reduces slightly.
Add the pastina and bring to a simmer again, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Cook until the pastina is tender, about 6–8 minutes.
Season with chopped parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the parmesan rind.
Slowly sprinkle in the parmesan a little at a time, stirring as you go so it doesn’t clump.
It might look thin at first, but it thickens as it sits!
Assembly
Scoop the soup into 4 containers (I used Le Creuset mini cocottes).
Garnish with more parmesan on top if you like.
Reheating
Microwave in two 45-second increments, stirring in between, until hot.