I love cooking all kinds of soups, but when I'm not feeling well, I recently find myself coming back to one simple, comforting recipe. Pastina soup - often referred to as "Italian Penicillin" is the kind of dish every Nonna is making for their sick grandchild. Traditionally made with a tiny star-shaped pasta, pastina has been hard to find for me at my local grocery stores, so I use acini di pepe instead and it works perfectly.

This soup comes together in 30 minutes or less and is one of those reliable, feel-good meals that also stays good for a few days in the fridge. Here's my version of pastina soup for the next time you need something comforting. I typically dice the veggies, but you can also mince everything, whatever you prefer.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

  • 48 oz of chicken broth
  • 1/2 - 1 cup acini di pepe
  • 3-4 celery stalks, diced or minced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced or minced
  • 2 large carrots, diced or minced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 chicken boullian cubes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • dash of cayenne pepper
  • fresh parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

  1. Heat up olive oil in a large pot over low heat
  2. Add chopped onions and garlic to pot, cooking gently until the onions turn golden brown (keep the heat low so the garlic doesn't burn)
  3. Mix in the celery and carrots, letting them soften for a few minuetes
  4. Optional: I like to mix in a little heat here adding a couple dashes of cayenne pepper
  5. Pour in chicken broth, keeping the heat at low-medium, and toss in 2 bay leaves. To deepen the flavor of the broth, stir in two additional chicken bouillon cubes
  6. Bring the broth to a gentle boil, then slowly mix in the acini di pepe
  7. Cook the acini di pepe until slightly firm, avoiding overcooking the noodles so they don't get mushy
  8. Once everything is cooked, sprinkle in some freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve warm