Pastina Soup
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
5 mins
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Cook Time
10 mins
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If making homemade broth
3 hrs
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Total Time
15 mins
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Servings
4 - 6 servings
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Calories
286 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Pastina Soup
Description
Pastina Soup centers on small, delicate pastina pasta cooked in a homemade chicken broth made from a cooked chicken carcass, vegetables like carrot, celery, onion, garlic, and herbs. Simmering the carcass and aromatics for several hours extracts a flavorful stock. The pastina pasta is added to bring a soft, tender texture that cooks quickly in the broth. The resulting soup has a clear, savory broth with tiny pasta that softens without becoming mushy if served immediately. It captures a simple, nourishing broth and pasta combination that is gentle on the palate and filling.
The soup is typically served hot and can be accompanied by crusty bread or parmesan croutons to introduce crunch and contrast. Given the delicate nature of pastina, it is best eaten fresh as the pasta tends to absorb liquid and lose texture over time.
For convenience, store-bought broth can substitute homemade stock, but homemade yields better flavor. The broth freezes well for months, while fresh stock can keep refrigerated for several days. Pastina is best cooked just before serving to avoid mushiness.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups pastina pasta (210g)
- 6 cups chicken broth 1.5 litres, or stock
Homemade chicken broth
- 1 chicken carcass skin and meat removed, cooked leftover
- 1 carrot , whole or cut in half
- 1 celery , cut into 2 or 3
- 1 onion , cut in half
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1-2 rosemary sprigs or other herbs of choice
Instructions
To Make Homemade Chicken Broth
- Remove as much cooked chicken meat and skin from the carcass as possible. Add the chicken carcass and any other chicken bones to a large, deep pot and add the vegetables and herbs (you don’t need to peel any vegetables.
- Fill the pot with water until the chicken is covered then cover and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling uncover and reduce to a simmer. Skim off any scum that comes to the surface.
- Simmer the stock (uncovered for 2-3 hours or longer (the longer you leave it the more concentrated the flavour will be but the less stock you’ll have as it will keep reducing.
- Pass through a sieve or colander so you’re left with the homemade stock and discard the bones, vegetables and herbs.
To Make Pastina Soup
- Bring 6 cups of chicken broth to a boil.
- Add the pastina pasta and boil for 3-4 minutes or until al dente. Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty bread or parmesan croutons.
Notes
- Use high-quality store-bought stock if you don't have time for homemade broth; it will still produce good flavor.
- When making homemade chicken broth, start with a cooked leftover chicken carcass and add vegetables and herbs without peeling the vegetables.
- Choose any tiny-shaped pastina suitable for soups; star-shaped is optional.
- Cook only the amount of pasta you plan to eat immediately, as leftover soup tends to become mushy due to pasta swelling.
- Chicken broth or stock can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days or frozen for months without loss of quality.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4- 6 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 286 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 286kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 51g | 17% |
| Protein | 15g | 30% |
| Fat | 3g | 5% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 129mg | 5% |
| Potassium | 545mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 2593IU | 52% |
| Vitamin C | 4mg | 4% |
| Calcium | 44mg | 4% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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