I love cooking all kinds of soups, but when I'm not feeling well, I recently find myself coming back to one simple, comforting recipe. Pastina soup - often referred to as "Italian Penicillin" is the kind of dish every Nonna is making for their sick grandchild. Traditionally made with a tiny star-shaped pasta, pastina has been hard to find for me at my local grocery stores, so I use acini di pepe instead and it works perfectly.
This soup comes together in 30 minutes or less and is one of those reliable, feel-good meals that also stays good for a few days in the fridge. Here's my version of pastina soup for the next time you need something comforting. I typically dice the veggies, but you can also mince everything, whatever you prefer.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 48 oz of chicken broth
- 1/2 - 1 cup acini di pepe
- 3-4 celery stalks, diced or minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced or minced
- 2 large carrots, diced or minced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 chicken boullian cubes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- dash of cayenne pepper
- fresh parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
- Heat up olive oil in a large pot over low heat
- Add chopped onions and garlic to pot, cooking gently until the onions turn golden brown (keep the heat low so the garlic doesn't burn)
- Mix in the celery and carrots, letting them soften for a few minuetes
- Optional: I like to mix in a little heat here adding a couple dashes of cayenne pepper
- Pour in chicken broth, keeping the heat at low-medium, and toss in 2 bay leaves. To deepen the flavor of the broth, stir in two additional chicken bouillon cubes
- Bring the broth to a gentle boil, then slowly mix in the acini di pepe
- Cook the acini di pepe until slightly firm, avoiding overcooking the noodles so they don't get mushy
- Once everything is cooked, sprinkle in some freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve warm
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