This pastina soup recipe is filled with tiny pasta and tender vegetables that get blended into the flavorful broth. Inspired by Italian penicillin soup, it's soothing, nourishing, and delicious.
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This pastina soup recipe is the best kind of comfort food. Filled with tiny pasta (pastina, in Italian) and tender vegetables, it’s cozy and flavorful, but nourishing too. Some of the vegetables stay whole for texture, while the rest get blended into the broth, thickening it slightly and giving it a stunning golden color. On a chilly fall or winter day, it’s a delicious way to warm up.
Pastina soup is sometimes called Italian penicillin. You can think of it like chicken noodle soup’s Italian cousin, a perfect soothing meal for days when you’re under the weather. Most versions call for chicken or at least chicken broth, but I wanted to develop a vegetarian take to have in my back pocket during cold season.
After three rounds of testing to get the ratio of noodles to veggies and broth just right, I couldn’t be happier with this pastina soup. It’s simple to make, bright with lemon, and filled with aromatic flavor from bay leaves, parsley, and thyme. I hope you love it as much as I do!
What is pastina?
Pastina means “little pasta” in Italian. It doesn’t refer to one specific pasta shape, but rather any very small pasta (less than 1/4 inch in size is a good rule of thumb). Some common types of pastina are stelline (tiny star-shaped pasta), acini di pepe (little pearls), and ditalini (small tubes). Any of these shapes will work nicely in this soup!
Pastina Soup Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this pastina soup recipe:
- Pastina, of course! Acini di pepe and stelline are my favorites in this recipe, but any tiny pasta shape will work.
- Onions, garlic, carrots, and celery – These savory vegetables create the soup’s flavorful base.
- Fresh thyme, parsley stems, and bay leaves – I simmer them in the soup to add fresh, aromatic flavor to the broth. If you don’t have fresh thyme on hand, dried thyme will work in its place. Use 1 teaspoon instead of the bundled thyme sprigs.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – It adds richness and helps the vegetables soften at the start of the cooking process.
- A Parmesan rind – Just like with the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, I simmer the Parm rind in the soup, then remove it before serving. I love the richness and umami depth it adds. Make sure to use vegetarian Parmesan if you need this soup to be vegetarian. I like BelGioioso’s.
- Vegetable broth – Make homemade vegetable stock, or use store-bought.
- Fresh lemon juice – It gives the soup a delicious bright finish.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Pastina Soup
This pastina soup recipe has four main steps:
1. Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery until they soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, then add the thyme, parsley stems, bay leaves, Parmesan rind, and broth.
2. Bring the soup to a boil, then simmer until the vegetables are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the Parmesan rind, bay leaves, thyme, and parsley.
3. Blend some of the vegetables. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out two cups of the tender veggies. Transfer them to a blender with 1 cup of the broth and blend until smooth. Stir the puree back into the pot.
4. Cook the pastina in the soup. Bring the soup back to a vigorous simmer, add the pastina, and cook until al dente. Stir in the lemon juice and taste and adjust as needed.
Finally, enjoy! I love my bowl topped with fresh parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Recipe Tips
- Simmer the vegetables until completely tender. The softer they are, the more seamlessly they’ll blend into the broth.
- You can use an immersion blender. The broth is smoother with a regular blender, but if you prefer to use an immersion blender, feel free. When the veggies are tender, scoop 1 cup of them out of the soup and set aside. Blend the rest right in the pot before stirring the reserved vegetables back in.
- The pasta cooking time will depend on what shape you’re using. I find that most pastina cooks in around 9 to 15 minutes at a vigorous simmer, but definitely check your pasta’s package instructions before you add it to the soup. If it has a shorter cook time, start checking it earlier so that it doesn’t overcook.
- I like to cook the pasta in the soup. It releases starches as it simmers, giving the soup a thick, satisfying texture. If you prefer a lighter, brothier texture, you can cook the pasta in a separate pot of boiling water, then add it to the soup when it’s al dente.
How to Store Pastina Soup
Store leftover pastina soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pasta absorbs the broth as it sits, so you may want to thin the soup with a little water when you reheat it. It reheats nicely on the stovetop or in the microwave.
If you want to freeze this soup, I recommend preparing it without the pasta (if you freeze it with the pasta already in it, the pasta can disintegrate). Freeze the soup base on its own for up to 3 months, then add the pasta when you reheat.
More Feel-Good Soup Recipes to Try
If you love this pastina soup, try one of these nourishing soup recipes next:
- Minestrone Soup
- Lemon Orzo Soup
- Tortellini Soup
- Pasta e Fagioli
- Or any of these 35+ Best Soup Recipes!
Pastina Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 medium carrots, chopped into small pieces (2½ cups)
- 3 celery ribs, chopped into small pieces (1 cup)
- 1¼ teaspoons sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 6 fresh thyme sprigs, bundled, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, stems bundled, leaves chopped and reserved for garnish
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Parmesan rind, plus freshly grated Parmesan for serving
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 8 ounces pastina, about 1 cup
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until softened.
- Stir in the garlic, then add the thyme and parsley bundles, bay leaves, Parmesan rind, broth, and the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt. Stir, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove and discard the Parmesan rind, bay leaves, and thyme and parsley bundles.
- Use a slotted spoon to scoop 2 cups of the vegetables out of the pot. Transfer to a blender and add 1 cup of the broth. Allow to cool slightly, then blend until completely smooth. Stir the puree back into the pot.
- Bring the soup to a vigorous simmer. Add the pastina and cook until tender, about 9 to 15 minutes depending on the type of pasta you’re using. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste.
- Serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley leaves.
