Chicken pastina is the ultimate Italian comfort food. Ask any Italian about pastina and I’m sure they’ll tell you that it is a regular dish in their household and that it is the cure to any ailment. It’s a nostalgic recipe that has been passed down through the generations. Nonna made sure this was one of the first foods fed to all her grandchildren.
This recipe comes from the Cucina Povera (literally meaning “poor kitchen”), which refers to the traditional cooking techniques and recipes that originated from Italy’s rural, poor populations. Recipes coming from Cucina Povera contain minimal, easy-to-find ingredients that come together to make some of the most delicious dishes.
Pastina means “little pasta” in Italian. They are tiny pieces of pasta coming in varying shapes. It is typically paired with chicken broth and parmesan cheese to give you the most amazing dish. I used stelline (star shaped pasta) when preparing this recipe, but these are not always available in grocery stores. If you find that to be the case for you, you could also use orzo, ditalini, acini de pepe, anellini, or any other small shaped pasta.
Another great thing about this recipe is how much food it provides. It calls for a whole chicken which, once shredded, can provide you with several cups of chicken. If you don’t want to use all of the chicken for soup, you can use it to make chicken salad, casseroles, add it to salads, or anything else your heart desires!
I swear this dish is magic. I have made this soup when I was sick with some of the worst colds of my life, and almost instantly the cold has gone away. There are definitely some healing properties at play here. That being said, don’t wait until you’re sick to make this recipe! It tastes good all year round and is sure to be a hit with even the most selective eaters.
Chicken Pastina Soup
Ingredients
- 1- 3 pound whole chicken
- 1 gallon of water
- 1-2 roma tomatoes (for color)
- 12 ounces pastina
- 1 tablespoon salt (or to taste)
- 2 teaspoons pepper (or to taste)
- Grated parmesan cheese for topping
- Cotton cheese cloth to wrap chicken
Directions
- Begin to prepare the chicken by wrapping the whole chicken in cheese cloth. If you’re not familiar with cheese cloth, it is a lightweight, cotton gauze fabric that is used to reduce left behind sludge. In this recipe, it is used to prevent chunks of chicken fat from leaking into the broth. See the image below as a reference for wrapping the chicken.
- Once the chicken is wrapped, place the chicken into a large soup pot or crockpot and cover with water. Add tomato, salt, and pepper. Cover with a lid and let simmer on low-medium heat for 3-4 hours or until chicken is fully cooked. I would recommend using a meat thermometer in the center of the chicken to ensure the chicken is cooked completely. It should be at least 165 degrees F.
- Once chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the pot and place onto a plate or into a large bowl. Use kitchen shears to remove the cheese cloth and discard. Use two forks to shred the chicken and place the shredded chicken into a separate bowl.
- In a separate pot, boil water and prepare the pastina as instructed on the box.
- Once the chicken is shredded, pasta is cooked, and the broth is seasoned as desired, assemble your bowl of soup. Add noodles, chicken, and broth to bowl. Top with parmesan cheese.
Note: This recipe is very forgiving. If you over salt/season the broth, add more water to the pot. If you feel the broth is too bland, add more salt/pepper.