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Pastina Soup (Italian Penicillin)

5 from 2 votes
This soup is perfect for those days when you are feeling a little under the weather. It's simple to make and packed with veggies.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup carrots roughly chopped
  • 1 medium onion roughly chopped
  • 1 cup celery roughly chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic
  • 6-8 cups chicken stock or broth depending on your desired consistency
  • 1 cup pastina
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano plus more to top
  • 1 parmesan rind optional
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper optional
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley optional for garnish
  • fresh lemon juice optional for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Large Pot or Dutch Oven
  • 1 Blender, Food Processor, or Immersion Blender optional

Method
 

  1. Heat a medium pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add your olive oil, carrots, onion, celery, salt and pepper. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until the veggies are slightly softened. Add the garlic. Sauté for another minute.
  2. Add chicken stock*, water, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (optional) and a parmesan rind if you have it, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes.
  3. Optional: Remove veggies from the pot. Add to a blender or food processor with 1/3 cup chicken stock(You can also use an immersion blender if you don't mind small pieces of veggies in your soup). Blend until smooth. Pour pureed veggies back into the pot.
  4. Add 1 cup of your favorite pastina. Cook according to package instructions until al dente.
  5. Remove from the heat. Stir in 2 tbsp butter and 1/4 to 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  6. Garnish with extra parmesan, chopped parsley, and a little bit of fresh lemon juice (optional).
  7. Enjoy!

Notes

*Adjust the amount of liquid based on your desired consistency. 6 cups of liquid will give you a very thick soup, while 8 cups will give it more of a traditional soup-like consistency.