Italian Pastina Soup (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Vegetables
01 -
Fresh parsley (2 tablespoons, chopped, optional for garnish)
02 -
Celery sticks (2, roughly chopped)
03 -
Carrots (2, roughly chopped)
04 -
Yellow or white onion (1, roughly chopped)
→ Broth & Pasta
05 -
Pastina pasta (1 cup, or other small pasta like stelline or acini di pepe)
06 -
Chicken or vegetable broth (6 cups)
→ Cheese & Seasonings
07 -
Salt and pepper to taste
08 -
Grated Parmesan cheese (½ cup)
09 -
Parmesan rind (1)
# Instructions:
01 -
Chop up your onion, celery, and carrots into big chunks.
02 -
Throw your chopped veggies, the Parmesan rind, and broth into a big pot. Heat it to a boil. Then drop it to a simmer with a lid on for about 20-30 minutes until the vegetables get nice and soft.
03 -
Scoop the vegetables out, blend them with a little broth (about ½-1 cup) until smooth, but watch out for the hot liquid!
04 -
Put the blended veggies back in the pot and toss in the pasta. Let it simmer for 7-9 minutes, or until the pasta is ready.
05 -
Turn off the stove, mix in Parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper as you like.
06 -
Sprinkle with some chopped parsley on top if you want to fancy it up.
# Notes:
01 -
People call this 'Italian penicillin' because it's so comforting!
02 -
If you've got leftovers, keep the pasta and broth in separate containers for best texture.
03 -
Feel free to tweak flavors with garlic powder, red pepper flakes, or a pinch of Italian seasoning.
04 -
Take it up a notch by adding shredded chicken, a few chunks of Italian sausage, or a soft-boiled egg.