Pastina soup is a delicious, comforting and super quick to make Italian soup. It’s made with the simplest, genuine ingredients that are good for your body and soul.
Pastina soup, also called Minestrina or Pastina In Brodo is essentiany a tiny pasta shape cooked in chicken broth.
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In fact, it’s somewhat similar to Chicken Noodle Soup.
They often joke that pastina is an Italian “penicillin”.
That’s because when you’re sick or not feeling good pastina soup or minestrina is what an Italian mom or nonna would make to make their babies (big and small) feel better.
And it works!
5 Reasons You’ll Love Pastina Soup
- Pastina is the kind of a soup that warms you up from the inside out.
- Super quick to make. Pastina cooks in less than 5 minutes due to its tiny shape.
- It’s packed with nutrients if cooked in its classic version - in meat broth or chicken broth. Vegetable broth is also a great alternative.
- It’s a perfect meal to make when you have an “empty fridge”. In fact, while homemade broth will give you the most flavor and nutrients, you can still make Pastina soup with very minimal ingredients like any tiny pasta shape, water and seasoned with creamy cheese wedges or simply extra virgin olive oil and Parmesan cheese.
- Family friendly. No matter the age or taste preference, no one ever said NO to a delicious bowl of hot and comforting pastina soup.
- This recipe of pasta soup is a base you can also add to. Make it your own based on the ingredients you have or your personal taste. More about this below.
Now, if you have grown up in Italian household I bet you don’t need the “recipe” BUT if you’re just discovering this Italian classics, here are a few things you might want to know before you start making pastina soup.
Mainly, we’ll see in details the 2 main ingredients you'll need and their alternatives.
What is Pastina Pasta
Pastina literally means “tiny pasta” or “little pasta” and it comes in so many different teeny tiny shapes. So even if you make it often it’s never boring.
Usually, pastina pasta is eggless and only made with durum wheat flour. But you can also find versions of egg pastina made with flour and eggs in the dough.
Other Types of Pastina You Can Use
Here are some of the most popular pastina types.
- Anellini – tiny ring shape.
- Acini – peppercorn shape.
- Conchigliette – small shells.
- Corallini – small short tubes.
- Midolline – water drops or melon seed shape.
- Stelline – star shape – probably the most popular shape!
- Farfalline – small bowtie or butterfly shape.
- Puntine – the tiniest of all soup pasta shapes. The most ideal pastina for babies.
- Risoni – rice grains shape.
- Quadrucci – small pasta squares.
- Fillini – little threads shape.
- Tempesta – small pebbles shape, hence it’s called tempesta – storm or hailstorm.
- Tempestine – tiny pebble
My personal favorite pastina shape is stelline or star pastina and farfalline.
But you can use whatever you like, including ditalini pasta, even though they are more suitable for hearty soups like Classic Italian Minestrone Soup or creamy and delicious Ditalini Soup With Chickpeas & Bacon.
Chicken Broth & Its Alternatives
The best liquid to cook pastina in is of course homemade chicken broth or classic Italian meat broth.
That’s why it’s often called pastina in brodo which literally translates as pastina in broth.
Sometimes, when I ran out of homemade broth I use plain water and enrich it with creamy cheese wedges or simply with butter and Parmesan cheese.
Another great option is vegetable broth. It’s easy and quick to make.
For a small pot for 2-3 portions you’ll need: 1 carrot, 1 celery rib, ½ onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 small potato, pinch of peperoncino (chili flakes), 1 rosemary sprig, a few stems of parsley, bay leaf and a couple of cherry tomatoes or sun-dried tomato (optional). Bring all ingredients to a boil and cook on slow simmer for about 30 minutes then drain.
Yes, you can use low sodium bouillon cubes or ready-to-use store-bought stock BUT save it as your last option.
Instructions With Photos
Step 1: Prepare Chicken Broth
- Start by washing, scrubbing the vegetables. Peel onion and carrot, you can also slice them in half or in quarters. If using zucchini or fennel cut off the ends and cut the vegetable in a couple of chunks.
- Pluck chicken to clean any remaining feathers and run it thoroughly under cold running water.
- Put chicken and vegetable in a pot, then add the water.
- Just before broth comes to a boil skim off any foam/scum from the surface if you see any.
- Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and simmer for 60-90 minutes, then strain. Don’t discard meat and vegetable! Instead use them for your next meal (see notes). The more you cook the broth the most intense will be the flavor.
Step 2: Cook Pastina In Broth
Take the amount of broth needed to cook pastina, about 1 cup per person, and put in a pot.
Bring to a boil then add pastina. Cook for 3-5 minutes as directed on the package.
Serve immediately with a cheese wedge or freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Possible Add-Ons
- Lightly beaten egg added and mixed well just before pastina is ready. This adds extra proteins and flavor.
- Egg and spinach is another great combination.
- Finely chopped carrots and a handful of frozen peas added together with pasta. They will add extra color and flavor.
- Finely chopped potatoes, grates zucchini added in the pot together with the broth for extra flavor and creaminess. Pastina will also taste great with cauliflower.
How To Serve Pastina Soup
As mentioned before, you can make an absolutely delicious pastina soup even if you cook it in plain water (with some salt).
But Italian secret that makes your taste buds sing with joy is how you serve pastina.
When you poured pastina soup in individual bowls, add a creamy cheese triangle, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some more Parmesan cheese to taste. It’s the most delicious and Italian condiment of all!
Especially if you find Parmareggio or melted Parmesan cheese triangles.
It’s not easy to find outside of Italy, so you can also use creamy cheese wedges that you’ll find your local grocery store or even a dollop of cream cheese.
This is what makes pastina soup so creamy and incredibly flavorful, EVEN if you use just plain water instead of broth.
Another alternative to cream cheese wedges is the classic butter and Parmesan cheese that you can add to your pastina soup.
FAQs
You can certainly make chicken, beef of vegetable broth in advance. However pastina should be cooked only the moment you need to consume it. If pastina is cooked in advance will absorb all the broth and turn mushy.
Absolutely! Pastina recipe for babies is very similar to classic version.In fact, Pastina Soup IS baby food that adults make when they want food that feels like a cuddle.
From early childhood Italians eat pastina or minestrina and it’s one of the most beloved foods that evokes childhood memories.
In fact, you can make pastina for babies starting from 8-9 months.
Here’s a few adjustment and variation you can make if you’re making pastina soup for a baby:
- use homemade vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and choose the tiniest shape, like orzo.
- If you need a boost of proteins, make egg pastina. Once pastina is almost cooked add an egg and beat it quickly just the way you make an egg drop soup. I also use this trick with my baby who doesn’t like boiled eggs.
Of course, consult your pediatrician or health provider before adding egg and introducing new foods to your baby and beware of food allergies.
- Use homemade fish stock to make rich and utterly delicious fish minestrina.
Looking for a piece of rustic bread to go with Pastina soup?
Try one of these favorite Italian Homemade Breads!
More Italian Soup Recipes
- The Best Minestrone Soup Recipe – perfect for ALL seasons!
- Passatelli In Brodo [VIDEO] – simple poor mans pasta made with breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and eggs cooked in delicious hot broth.
A must-try! - Thick Escarole & Bean Soup – Thick, hearty and super simple to make.
- Ditalini Soup With Chickpeas & Bacon – Creamy, decadent, warming and utterly delicious.
- Creamy Pumpkin Soup With Mushrooms & Chestnuts – This cream of pumpkin soup is SO GOOD that you can easily make it without any mushroom and/or chestnuts. What I also love to do is to mix up the topping depending on what’s available. Sometimes toss in roasted pancetta, sometimes just mushrooms or nothing at all.
Full Recipe
Pastina Soup (Minestrina)
Ingredients
For Chicken Broth
- 2 chicken thighs , or whole chicken, approx 1 pound (see notes)
- 1 large carrot
- 2 celery ribs
- 1 small onion
- 1 garlic cloves
- 3-5 cherry tomatoes or 1 sun-dried tomato
- 1 zucchini or 1 fennel
- 8 cups water , approximately
For Soup
- 6 oz star pastina or other tiny pasta shape
For Serving
- Creamy cheese triangles (wedges)
- Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Prepare Chicken Broth
- Start by washing, scrubbing the vegetables. Peel onion and carrot, you can also slice them in half or in quarters. If using zucchini or fennel cut off the ends and cut the vegetable in a couple of chunks.
- Pluck chicken to clean any remaining feathers and run it thoroughly under cold running water.
- Put chicken and vegetable in a pot, then add the water.
- Just before broth comes to a boil skim off any foam/scum from the surface if you see any.
- Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and simmer for 60-90 minutes, then strain. Don’t discard meat and vegetable! Instead use them for your next meal (see notes). The more you cook the broth the most intense will be the flavor.
Prepare Pastina Soup
- Take the amount of broth needed to cook pastina, about 1 cup per person, and put in a pot.
- Bring to a boil then add pastina. Cook for 3-5 minutes as directed on the package.
- Serve immediately with a cheese wedge or freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you have comfort food cravings or feel under the weather or need to feed a baby or toddler who refuses to eat anything else, save this recipe! It takes 7 minutes AT MOST to make the most delicious comforting pastina soup.
Buon Appetito!
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