Description
Pastina soup whispers Italian comfort through its simple, nourishing ingredients. Delicate pasta pearls swimming in rich broth create a warm embrace that connects you to generations of home-cooked love and tradition.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 cup pastina (small pasta)
- 4 cups (946 ml) chicken broth
Vegetables:
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1/2 onion, diced
Seasonings and Extras:
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley for garnish
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a spacious pot over medium flame until shimmering.
- Gently introduce diced vegetables, allowing carrots, celery, and onions to soften and release their aromatic essence, approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Cascade broth into the pot, elevating heat to create a rolling boil.
- Sprinkle pastina into the bubbling liquid, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking for 5 minutes until pasta reaches a tender consistency.
- Calibrate flavor profile with judicious pinches of salt and pepper, tasting and adjusting seasoning to personal preference.
- Transfer steaming soup to serving bowls, embellishing with delicate fresh parsley and optional gossamer shavings of Parmesan cheese for an elegant finishing touch.
Notes
- Choose small star-shaped pasta or substitute with orzo if pastina is unavailable, ensuring consistent cooking time.
- Add beaten egg at the end for extra protein and a creamy texture, stirring quickly to create silky ribbons throughout the soup.
- Create a gluten-free version by using rice-based or quinoa pasta instead of traditional wheat pastina.
- Enhance flavor depth by sautéing vegetables with a pinch of dried thyme or adding a splash of white wine before introducing broth.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Appetizer
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg