Pastina Soup: Making Italy’s Classic Penicillin

(Note: This recipe synthesizes culinary methods and clinical nutrition guidelines from Hackensack Meridian Health and Lisa Chang; it has not been independently kitchen-tested.)

• Yield: 4 servings [4]

• Active Prep Time: 10 to 15 minutes [4], [5]

• Cook Time: 25 to 35 minutes [3], [4]

Ingredients

• Broth: 8 cups chicken broth or low-sodium vegetable stock [3], [5]

• Vegetable Base: 2 cups chopped sweet onion, 1 ½ cups peeled and coarsely chopped carrots, 2 celery stalks (chopped), and 6 peeled and smashed garlic cloves [3]

• Seasoning & Herbs: ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, 4 fresh thyme sprigs, and 2 dried bay leaves [3]

• Cheese Component: 1 (2-ounce) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind, plus grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving [3]

• Pasta: 4 ounces dried pastina (such as stelline) [3]

• Optional Protein & Garnish: 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken [3] and fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves [3], [5]

Preparation Steps

1. Simmer the Aromatics: In a large saucepan, combine the broth, chopped onion, carrots, celery, smashed garlic, and salt [3]. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes [3].
2. Purée the Vegetable Base: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the softened vegetables and 1 cup of the warm broth to a blender [3]. Remove the center cap of the blender lid to let steam escape, place a clean towel over the opening, and blend until completely smooth (roughly 30 seconds) [3]. Stir the smooth purée back into the pot [3].
3. Infuse the Broth: Add the fresh thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind to the pot [3]. Return the liquid to a gentle boil [3].
4. Cook the Pasta: Add the uncooked pastina directly into the simmering broth [3]. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent the stars from sticking, until the pasta is tender [3]. Depending on your chosen brand and shape, this takes between 3 and 6 minutes for small stars [1], [2], or up to 15 to 20 minutes if using thicker varieties [3].
5. Finish and Serve: Stir in the shredded rotisserie chicken during the final 3 minutes of cooking to heat it through [3]. Remove the pot from heat, remove and discard the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and cheese rind, and ladle into bowls [3]. Garnish with chopped parsley and grated cheese at the table [3], [4].

While complex pasta formats like those in The Ultimate Guide to Making Homemade Italian Ravioli demand meticulous folding and structure, pastina focuses entirely on microscopic shapes designed to hold broth [4]. “Pastina” translates from Italian as “tiny dough” and serves as an umbrella term for dozens of miniature pasta varieties [2], [4].

Culinary guides warn against substituting larger pasta shapes like orzo into traditional pastina in brodo recipes, as orzo releases excess starch that can become gluey [4]. For an authentic bite, stick to classic micro-cut stelline (little stars) [4], [5].

The soup earned its nickname because generations of Italian families relied on it as an automatic remedy for seasonal sickness [4], [5]. Unlike heavy cream soups or rich, cheese-laden dishes like Pasta alla Gricia, pastina soup provides clean energy without straining the digestive tract [4].

According to registered oncology dietitian Heather Younker at the John Theurer Cancer Center, warm fluids and broth-based soups help open nasal passages while preventing dehydration during respiratory illnesses [3]. The combination of antioxidant-rich mirepoix vegetables and simple carbohydrates offers an accessible nutritional profile [3], coming in at roughly 120 to 150 calories per serving when prepared as a light broth [4].

Because pastina absorbs liquid rapidly, slight missteps in timing or handling can alter the texture of your soup [4], [5].

• Never Boil the Pasta Separately: Cooking pastina directly in the seasoned stock allows it to absorb the broth’s flavor while preventing the delicate shapes from turning mushy [4].

• Avoid Vigorous Stirring: Excessive stirring breaks apart fragile star shapes and releases too much surface starch [4]. Swirl the pot gently during cooking [4].

• Fixing Consistency: Because pastina continues to expand and soak up broth as it rests, the soup can thicken into a porridge [5]. If the soup becomes too dense, thin it by stirring in ¼ cup of hot broth or boiling water [4], [5].

• Freezing Guidelines: Never freeze pastina soup after the pasta has been added; freezing causes the micro-pasta to disintegrate into mush when reheated [4]. Freeze the vegetable broth base separately for up to 3 months, then bring it to a boil and drop in fresh pastina just before eating [4].