Description
Pastina, a classic Italian comfort dish, brings warmth and nostalgia to your table. Simple ingredients and quick preparation make this hearty meal a cherished memory from childhood kitchens across Italy.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups (950 ml) chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian)
- 1 cup (200 g) pastina (tiny pasta, such as stelline or acini di pepe)
- 2 tbsps unsalted butter
- 1 egg (optional, for creaminess)
- ¼ cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley or basil, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Broth Preparation: Ignite a medium saucepan with chicken broth, escalating the liquid to a vigorous boil with robust energy.
- Pasta Integration: Cascade pastina into the effervescent broth, orchestrating consistent stirring to prevent adhesion and guarantee uniform pasta development.
- Cooking Transformation: Observe pasta’s metamorphosis, allowing it to absorb the rich broth until achieving a pillowy, tender texture within 5-7 minutes.
- Butter Infusion: Extract saucepan from heat source, introducing cold butter to create a silken emulsion throughout the pasta landscape.
- Cheese Incorporation: Lavish Parmesan across the surface, gently folding to construct a harmonious, creamy composition.
- Egg Technique: Whisk a fresh egg into a golden elixir, preparing for careful integration into the pastina matrix.
- Final Fusion: Stream the whisked egg into the warm pasta, maintaining constant motion to prevent curdling and develop a luxurious, velvety essence.
- Seasoning Refinement: Elevate the dish with sea salt and black pepper, calibrating flavors to personal preference.
- Presentation: Cascade the creamy pastina into serving vessels, embodying the quintessential comfort of Italian cuisine, with optional herbaceous garnish of parsley or basil for aromatic complexity.
Notes
- Control Liquid Absorption: Watch broth levels carefully to prevent pastina from becoming too dry or mushy, adjusting heat and stirring frequently for perfect consistency.
- Prevent Egg Scrambling: Temper the whisked egg by slowly adding small amounts of hot pastina while stirring constantly, ensuring a smooth, creamy texture without curdling.
- Cheese Melting Technique: Grate Parmesan fresh and add off-heat to preserve its delicate flavor and prevent burning, creating a silky smooth coating on the pasta.
- Customize Dietary Needs: Swap chicken broth with vegetable stock for vegetarian version, use gluten-free pastina for celiac-friendly option, or replace butter with olive oil for lighter preparation.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg