Pastina Soup (Italian Penicillin) with Parmesan
Make pastina soup with blended carrots, celery, onion, garlic, tiny pasta, broth, and Parmesan for a cozy 45-minute bowl.
Servings: 6
Adjust the serving amount to scale the ingredient list. Written quantities in the steps refer to the original recipe; adjust them in the same proportion. Timing may vary with batch size.
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for tossing the pasta
- 3 large carrots peeled and cut into large chunks
- 2 stalks celery cut into large chunks
- 1/2 yellow onion peeled and cut into large chunks
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 10 cups chicken or vegetable broth or water plus broth base
- 1 teaspoon salt plus a pinch for the pasta
- 1 1/2 cups pastina tiny star pasta, cooked separately
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic, then sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add the broth and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are very tender.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked vegetable chunks to a bowl. Let them cool briefly before blending.
- Blend the vegetables with 1 to 2 cups of broth until very smooth. Stir the blended mixture back into the pot.
- Cook the pastina according to its package directions. Drain it and toss with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt.
- Spoon pastina into shallow bowls, ladle the hot broth over it, and finish with freshly grated Parmesan.