Pastina Soup

By Lidey Heuck

Published February 26, 2025

  • Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
55 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(1,228)
Comments
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Often referred to simply as pastina, which means “little pasta” in Italian, this is Italy’s answer to the comforting cure-all chicken soup. Variations of pastina soup abound, but most include chicken broth, vegetables (in the form of sautéed onions, carrots and celery) and tiny pasta. The miniature star-shaped pasta most commonly used in this dish is sold as “stelline” — or “tiny stars” — in Italy, and simply as “pastina” in the United States. Acini de pepe works well, too, if pastina is unavailable. A tiny shape is key here, as the pasta continues to absorb broth after it cooks, giving the soup an almost creamy, porridge-like consistency. Some versions even call for puréeing the cooked vegetables and stirring them back into the soup to further thicken the broth. Homemade chicken broth would be an excellent choice here, but for those who need comfort in a hurry, this recipe uses the handy shortcut of reducing store-bought chicken broth and adding a Parmesan rind to the pot, to enrich and maximize the soup’s flavor.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 ½ cups)

  • 1 cup finely chopped carrot (from 1 medium-large carrot)

  • 1 cup finely chopped celery (from about 3 stalks) 

  • 2 quarts (8 cups) low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed

  • 1 (2-to-3-inch) Parmesan rind

  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper

  • 1 cup pastina or acini de pepe

  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus more for serving

  • Grated Parmesan, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

32 grams carbs; 24 milligrams cholesterol; 266 calories; 3 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 10 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 994 milligrams sodium; 13 grams protein; 8 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a 10-inch Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add the chicken broth, Parmesan rind and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Adjust heat to medium-low and simmer for 25 minutes, until slightly reduced.

  3. Step 3

    Add the pastina and simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the parsley and more salt and pepper to taste. Discard the Parmesan rind. The broth may seem thin but will thicken considerably as the soup sits.

  4. Step 4

    Serve in shallow bowls topped with grated Parmesan and parsley. If reheating, add more broth as needed.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,228 user ratings
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Comments

Katie

@April -- I know this is an old comment, so maybe you've figured it out or don't care anymore, but it's getting to be soup season, so I'll share what I know just in case. ha ha. If I were going to add egg to this soup, I would temper it and then pour into the soup to give it a more creamy consistency. If you do it right, it won't be as dramatic as cream, but it will make the broth feel more rich and be less translucent without having any egg pieces. The goal of tempering the egg is to slowly raise the temperature, so it doesn't cook as soon as it hits the hot soup (which causes it to basically scramble and then you would have little pieces of cooked eggs throughout). To temper the egg, crack it into a separate heat safe dish and whisk it lightly. Then, take a small ladle full of soup broth and pour it slowly over the egg while whisking. Do this a few times to get the egg closer to the temperature of the soup. With the pot of soup off of the heat source, pour the egg mixture into the soup slowly while stirring the soup. You'll see the broth get a little cloudier as the egg is mixed in. I think it's a really nice texture.

Emily

My Italian grandmother made this, as does my mom. Now my kids expect it when they are sick. My grandmother and mom always whisked a couple of eggs into the soup just before stirring to give it a rich creaminess (egg allergy kids so I can’t do that). Also best topped it with butter.

Maryann

My Italian relatives served pastina cooked in chicken broth as baby food with a bit of parmesan on top - better than that stuff in the jar!

Toby

With a generous amount of chopped fresh dill, this comes close to the chicken soup of my childhood, and easily vegan with Better Than Bouillon No Chicken. Tried a trend, and removed the cooked vegetables to puree separately with an immersion blender while the pastina cooked in the broth. Added back for a thick, silky, filling meal. Half the amount of pasta was plenty.

Lindsay

I added extra broth and chopped portabella mushrooms to the veggies and it enriched the flavor. Great without the mushrooms, too.

Julie

Delicious!

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