Italian Comfort Pastina Soup (The ‘Italian Penicillin’ Version)
This is the ultimate comfort food in a bowl. This easy pastina soup recipe delivers the warm, soothing flavor of classic Italian cooking, perfect for sick days or quick weeknight dinners.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 30 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium carrot, finely diced
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup pastina (tiny star-shaped pasta)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1 large Parmesan rind (optional, for deep flavor)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten (optional, for stirring in at the end)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced carrot and onion. Cook until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and dried oregano to the pot. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken or vegetable broth. If you are using the Parmesan rind, add it now. Bring the broth to a gentle simmer.
- Add the pastina pasta to the simmering broth. Cook according to package directions, usually about 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Remove and discard the Parmesan rind before serving. Stir in the 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese until melted into the soup. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
- If you are including the egg for extra richness (the ‘Italian Penicillin’ style), remove the pot from the heat. Slowly drizzle the lightly beaten egg into the hot soup while constantly whisking the soup vigorously. This tempers the egg and creates fine ribbons of cooked egg throughout the broth. Do not return the soup to the heat once the egg is added, or it may curdle.
- Serve immediately with extra grated Parmesan cheese on top.
Notes
- For a richer flavor base, sauté the carrots and onions in 1 tablespoon of butter along with the olive oil.
- If you are making this soup for someone who is sick, keep the seasoning very mild and skip the optional egg and heavy cheese until they feel better.
- This soup is best eaten the day it is made, as the tiny pastina pasta absorbs liquid quickly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 850
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 4
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 12
- Cholesterol: 45