Pastina

It seems like Pastina has been trending, so I had to see what all the fuss was about. I couldn't be more pleased!

Traditionally, Pastina is thought of as Italian penicillin - something comforting and simple - much like the American chicken noodle soup. The soup itself is a vegetable and chicken broth base blended together until smooth and spooned over simple little star noodles.

Often the soup is made with something as simply as carrots, celery and onions. But I found that throwing in a zucchini and red pepper added subtly sweet flavor. The parmesan rind and abundance of fresh basil added a nice peppery note.

This seemingly simple bowl of soup was a warm hug for my insides!

Pastina

Ingredients

For the soup

·       6 cups chicken stock

·       ½ onion, chopped

·       2 stalks celery, chopped

·       3 carrots, peeled & chopped

·       1 red pepper, chopped

·       1 zucchini, chopped

·       1 tsp salt

·       1 tsp garlic powder

·       1 heaping cup fresh basil

·       Parmesan rind

·       Black pepper, to taste

For the pasta

·       12oz stelline pasta

·       3 eggs

·       ¾ cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving

For the soup… combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a hard simmer. Allow the vegetables to simmer until soft, at least 45 minutes.

Once the vegetables are completely cooked through, remove the parmesan rind. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until completely smooth (or transfer to a traditional blender). Keep warm until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, cook the pasta in an abundance of boiling, salted water per package instructions until al dente.

While the pasta cooks, vigorously whisk together the eggs and ¾ cup parmesan.  

Drain the pasta. While stirring the pasta, slowly drizzle in the egg and cheese mixture.

To serve, spoon a heaping scoop of pastina into a shallow bowl. Ladle over the pureed soup. Garnish with a shower of shredded parmesan and more black pepper.

Serves 4

Notes

If pasta is cooked directly in the soup or added to the soup too far in advance before serving, the pasta will absorb far too much of the broth and become mushy.

Gluten Free Friendly!

Swap the pasta for your favorite GF brand! Jovial Stelline can be found on Amazon.