Pastina means tiny pasta in Italian, and usually, this is made with tiny little star-like pasta, anything tiny will do just fine!
This inexpensive kind of buttered pasta that can be thick or thin kept us warm and made us always feel better especially when we had the sniffles.
Grandma would make it often during the winter months when we were babies and was often one of our very first foods with the tiniest of pastine.
The recipe takes virtually only a few ingredients and is done in minutes.
This soup will always be my go-to when I just want something fast and want to warm up quickly on those cooler days.
Over the years we adapted just two of the ingredients using chicken broth instead of water and adding any kind of "small pasta" available.
Mom and grandma only used baby pastina, mom used tiny stars, but my favorite is orzo as shown in the photo.
Use whatever pasta will cook quickly and either let it evaporate as it boils or leaves some pasta water in it to be more like soup, either way, it's delicious.
For those who are huge soup, lovers try another one of our favorites, Best Soup Roundup.
Scroll down to the bottom to get this printable delicious easy soup recipe.
All Tiny Pasta is Great!
Although I remember always having this soup when we were little kids, this quickly made soup became a favorite all through adulthood.
The best memories came from eating this soup, and now my kids and their kids also love it.
Food doesn't have to be complicated to be delicious and full of flavor, this one has one other thing, and whatever mom had even spaghetti broken up was used.
Just remember any small type of pasta can be put into this recipe "pastina" is normally referred to as little tiny star pasta on the box you buy, but it means small pasta in Italian so use whatever you have.
Ingredients to make Pastina and Egg
- pastina (any kind you like I used orzo) baby pastina ( tiny stars), acini di pepe, broken spaghetti, or ABC pastine (pastina means tiny pasta in Italian, so anything can be used)
- egg
- water or chicken broth (I used low sodium chicken broth which is richer in flavor than water)
- butter
- Pecorino Romano cheese grated
- freshly cracked black pepper
More Soup Recipes We Love
Wedding Soup
Butternut Squash Soup
Ham Cabbage and White Bean Soup
Other Suggestions
- add more water if the soup gets too thick or chicken broth or leave it thick with no broth just flavored
- add some crumbled cooked bacon for more flavor
- add more cheese to taste or use shredded mozzarella or a favorite cheese that melts easily
- add bouillon to the water if you don't have chicken broth
Pasta Suggestions
- pastina star-shaped
- acini di pepe
- orzo
- round circles
- broken spaghetti
- ditalini
- rice is also an option
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Easy Delicious Soup
No matter what time of the year it is cold or the warmer months, this soup is fast, easy and satisfying, and perfect for babies' first meal as infants.
You can adjust more or less to how many people you are feeding, thin it down or keep it thicker, it's really up to you.
Whether it's Old Fashioned Chicken soup that's perfect for the common cold or this delicious Best Split Pea Soup with Ham, it will surely hit the spot for all the split pea lovers out there.
This hearty soup, just like potato soup, makes an impression on everyone, it's a keeper.
Give it a try and let us know if you've had this pastina soup before and your memories of it.

Pastina and Egg
Ingredients
- 1 cup of Pastine of your choice (acini di pepe, orzo, stars, baby pastina, ABC pasta, broken thin spaghetti all work fine)
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 beaten egg (if you like more egg add 2)
- Pecorino Romano cheese grated to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 2 cups of water or chicken broth (or use chicken bouillon) use on
- Optional: for Asian style add soy sauce, shaved mushroom, chopped chives, or scallions
- Note: see instructions at the end for thicker 1-person pastina and egg recipe no broth.
Instructions
- In a 3 or 4-quart saucepan bring the water of chicken broth to a boil, and add the pasta of choice.
- Simmer to package instructions or how you like your pasta cooked, do not drain this.
- Remove from the stovetop.
- Whisk in the egg quickly, add then add the butter until evenly mixed.
- Mix in the Pecorino Romano cheese to taste or sprinkle it on top.
- Note: add the black pepper to taste if you're not a fan leave it out.
- Asian Soup Recipe:
- If you prefer an Asian style, use chicken broth only, add the thinly sliced mushrooms in with the pasta to simmer at the beginning.
- When pasta is cooked whisk in the egg.
- Stir in the scallions, butter, and soy sauce before serving.
- Do not add cheese to the Asian style and for spicier flavored add some fresh or ground ginger.
- Note: For the thick version and without a broth see below:
- (for thicker 1 person that's just pasta, butter, egg, version use
- 1/4 cup pastina of choice and 1 cup of water, cook the pastine to package instructions for around 6 minutes, then season below with a little butter, whisking in the egg, cheese, salt, and pepper following the same instructions).
Notes:
Pastina means tiny pasta in Italian. Pastina is a general term for any small, shaped pasta. The pastina can be shaped like little stars, tubes, or even tiny macaroni noodles or shells. This style called Orzo is often classified as pastina as well. Though nearly any shape will do, generally, pasta smaller than about 1/4 inch qualifies to be called pastina.
Calories
351.50Fat (grams)
31.46Sat. Fat (grams)
19.51Carbs (grams)
6.27Fiber (grams)
1.44Net carbs
4.83Sugar (grams)
2.06Protein (grams)
13.02Sodium (milligrams)
2413.59Cholesterol (grams)
95.49Pin for later
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Oh wow, this is one soup that I haven't tried yet but super excited to. It surely looks warming and delicious!
ReplyDeleteSaving this to make the next time one of my kiddos is sick!
ReplyDeleteI love that this soup is not only comforting but is so inexpensive - exactly what I have been looking for!
ReplyDeleteLooks perfect for our impending very cold weather.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a really comforting and tasty soup. I would definitely add some bacon in it :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat timing! Soooo cold here and we need all the warm comfort food we can get. This Pastina with Egg will be perfect!
ReplyDeleteYum, I've never had pastina before but I am definitely making this. It seems so easy and I know my kid would like it too!
ReplyDeleteLike you say, this soup is proper comfort food. So tasty and delicious.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great soup recipe. I haven't tried anything like it. It's on the menu for this week!
ReplyDeleteI love it! Such an amazing and comforting meal!
ReplyDeleteNothing beats a nice bowl of warm, hearty and flavorful soup like this. It sounds absolutely marvelous.
ReplyDeleteOh wow! This soup looks and sounds so delicious.. Can't wait to make it.
ReplyDeleteThis recipe brings back fond memories of my childhood. It's one of my favorite poor man's dishes that our family made. Thanks for making me smile. Yours looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThis is one soup that my family is going to love!!
ReplyDeleteI have never known what to make with orzo, but thanks to your recipe I have got an idea! Making it today. It seems easy and delicious!
ReplyDeleteThis is the kind of soup I need for this wintry weather - easy and delicious!
ReplyDeleteThis looks so delicious and tasty! My family is going to love this! So excited!
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of this before, but it sure sounds good!! I am definitely going to be making this soon!
ReplyDeletePer your suggestion, I'd make it Asian-style but keeping the yummy cheese and butter too! Delish!
ReplyDeleteI loved this pastina! Yummy!; thank you for this fantastic recipe! I can't wait to make it again!!
ReplyDeleteYou left the egg out of thew recipe!!! How many eggs????
ReplyDeleteIt's really a matter of preference I like just 1 egg mom used 2 ... I like just a little bit but if you love eggs use 2.. Thanks for the catch! I have it listed everywhere for an ingredient and no quanity thank you so much!
DeleteWhat a great budget friendly meal. Total comfort food too.
ReplyDeleteSuper hearty and comforting! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI love pastina in my soups and so do I like egg also. This soup is really comforting. It has the most commonly favored elements of a great soup.
ReplyDeleteMy kids practically lived on this when they were small.
ReplyDeleteUltimate comfort food! I love the little star pasta
ReplyDeleteThank you for introducing me to this lovely dish! How adorable are the tiny star pastas? It just makes you smile!
ReplyDeleteMy sweet Italian grandma always made this for me as a child when I was sick. Loved it all my life. I don't think she used butter, but definitely Romano cheese and pepper. Solo good!
ReplyDeleteSo tasty. The broth cooked down way more than I meant it to but that just turned the final product into a bowl of creamy, cozy comfort. Bookmarking for the next time I need something easy, cheap, and heartwarming. Thank you for the recipe.
ReplyDelete