Pastina soup is an iconic Italian comfort food chock-full of nutrient-dense vegetables and tiny pasta. Make it for a cold day, a day with a cold or any time you need a Nonna-approved dish.
If you grew up in a traditional Italian household, you might remember enjoying pastina soup on cold winter nights or anytime you stayed home sick from school. This hearty, simple soup recipe, or “Italian penicillin,” is comfort food at its finest.
Italian pastina soup (like ribollita) dates back to Roman times and is loved for its quick cooking time, affordability and versatility. Made with wholesome ingredients, it is a classic Italian soup recipe and is often one of the first solid foods introduced to infants in Italy.
If you loved Campbell’s chicken and stars soup as a kid, then you’ll love Italian pastina soup. The recipe starts with a blend of carrots, celery, garlic and onions simmered in a homemade chicken broth or stock. Once tender, the veggies are pureed until velvety smooth, then they are brought back to a simmer on the stovetop. From there, a tiny pasta, called pastina, is added and cooked to al dente. Garnished with a generous shower of grated Parmesan cheese, this classic homemade soup recipe warms your soul with every bite.
What is pastina?
Pastina, in this instance, refers to the soup recipe and also the tiny pasta added to the soup. Pastina does not refer to a particular shape; it is a general term for small-shaped pasta. Some pastina are round, pearl-shaped pieces, while others are stars, tubes or tiny shells.
Pastina can be tricky to find. In recent years, one of the leading suppliers of starred pastina, Ronzoni, discontinued the pasta due to a manufacturing issue that made it impossible for them to make the small star shape the same way. While other brands still make pastina, the star shape has become scarce. Depending on your location, you may need to buy pastina on Amazon rather than at your local supermarket.
Pastina Soup Ingredients
Vegetable broth: While most authentic pastina soups use homemade chicken broth, we opt for vegetable broth to make this a vegetarian pastina soup. Feel free to swap in chicken stock if you prefer.
Vegetables: A blend of carrots, celery, onions and garlic makes a healthy, flavorful base for this soup.
Salt and pepper: No need to get fancy, a bit of salt and pepper is all you need to make a classic pot of Italian pastina soup.
Pastina: Look for tiny pasta at your local grocery store, specialty market or online. Alternatively, you could make this pastina soup recipe with other small pasta shapes like orzo, ditalini or acini di pepe.
Parmesan: For Italian pastina soup, use a small amount of Parmesan during the final few minutes of cooking to thicken and flavor the soup, and use more for garnish. You could also use Asiago, Romano or Grana Padano instead.
Parsley: Chop some parsley for a final flourish of color and freshness. You could also use another fresh herb, like chopped basil, thyme or oregano.
Directions
Step 1: Simmer the vegetables
In a Dutch oven or stockpot, bring the broth to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt and pepper, then cook, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Step 2: Purée the soup
Stir in 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and puree the soup using an immersion blender until velvety smooth.
Editor’s Tip: If you don’t have an immersion blender, let the soup cool slightly and then transfer it to a high-powered blender to puree it in batches.
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