Why do I have to temper the eggs?

If you add the entire egg into the soup, it will result in large chunks of cooked egg. When tempering the eggs by slowly adding broth, outside of the dutch oven, it will add a nice creamy texture to the broth once added in.

Pastina is the smallest form of pasta made. You will most likely find it as Acini di pepe, boxed dry in the grocery store isle with the other pastas.

How to Store Pastina?

To store the pastina, allow it to come to room temperature, then store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, use the microwave or stovetop.

Pastina Soup (Italian Penicillin)

Name: Pastina Soup (Italian Penicillin)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon carrot, peeled and minced; 1 tablespoon celery, minced; 1 tablespoon yellow onion, minced; 1 small garlic clove, minced; 3/4 teaspoon sea salt; 48 ounces of chicken stock (1.5 containers); 3/4 cup dried acini di pepe pasta (pastina pasta); 1 egg; Optional: 1/4 teaspoon black pepper + 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano for topping

Description

This Pastina Soup is so comforting and made up of just a few ingredients. It's super simple to make and is absolutely delicious! Ready in just one hour and full of flavor.

Ingredients

Scale

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon carrot, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon celery, minced
1 tablespoon yellow onion, minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
48 ounces of chicken stock (1.5 containers)
3/4 cup dried acini di pepe pasta (pastina pasta)
1 egg
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon black pepper + 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano for topping

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Instructions

Heat a dutch oven to medium low heat on the stovetop. Add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and allow it to warm up. Pour in the celery, carrot, onion, garlic and salt, and cook to soften for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Pour in chicken stock, stir and cover for 10 minutes.
Add in the pastina. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through, making sure the pasta isn't sticking to the bottom of the pot.
As the pasta is cooking, temper the egg by whisking the egg first. Then, slowly pour in a hot ladle full of the chicken broth from the soup, while still whisking quickly at the same time, to help cook the egg.
Pour the tempered egg into the soup. Stir well, then cover the soup for another 5 minutes.
The soup is ready to serve! Pull the dutch oven off the heat immediately to avoid the pasta from swelling up in the broth and overcooking.
Top with parmesan cheese and black pepper, if desired, and enjoy!

Equipment

dutch oven

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Notes

In Step 1, do not brown the vegetables, only soften until translucent. If any browning starts to occur, turn down the heat.
If you are using the egg, even after tempering it you will see some stringy like pieces in the broth. If you don't want this, leave out the egg.
As soon as the pasta is finished cooking, immediately pull the dutch oven off the heat to avoid overcooking.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: soup
Method: stovetop
Cuisine: Italian