Italian Chicken Pastina Soup is a classic recipe using lots of vegetables and garlic, tiny pasta, and cooked chicken. It’s the perfect warming soup made with basic ingredients and is sure to be one of your new favorite recipes!
This authentic Italian Chicken Pastina Soup is often referred to as “Italian Penicillin” because it’s full of healthy vegetables and is great when you are under the weather. It’s easy to make and perfect for using leftover chicken.
If you love Italian soups, be sure to try my Sausage Kale Bean Soup or this Minestrone Soup with Sausage recipe. If you have extra leftover chicken, give this Leftover Chicken Fajita Casserole a try, or use it to make Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad.
What is Italian Penicillin Soup?
Chicken Pastina Soup is often referred to as Nonna’s healing soup or Italian Penicillin Soup because it’s what many Italian grandmother’s make when their loved ones are sick. This soup is full of healthful ingredients and is great for warming up when you are under the weather.
Chicken Pastina Soup is the classic Italian comfort food made with simple ingredients. Known as Italian chicken noodle soup, you can make with large chunks of skinless chicken breasts or leave them out.
Similar to classic chicken noodle soup, this comforting soup has lots of veggies, chicken broth, and diced cooked chicken. It comes together quick and is great when you need a delicious meal to warm you up.
Classic Italian chicken pastina soup is made with little pasta shapes such as star-shaped pasta known as “little stars,” or the more common acini de pepe, known also as pastina. But, you can make this soup using any tiny pasta shape you can find.
In this recipe, the veggies are pureed with the broth to make a smooth texture. The pastina pasta cooks in the soup so you don’t have to cook it separately.
You’ll love this classic Italian recipe for Chicken Pastina Soup. It’s both warming and filling – you’re going to love it!
What is Pastina?
Pastina is a type of tiny pasta, often the smallest in Italian cuisine. It typically comes in various small shapes, like stars, dots, or grains, and is commonly used in simple dishes, especially for children or when someone is feeling under the weather.
Pastina is often cooked in broth and is sometimes served with butter, cheese, or a splash of olive oil for added flavor. Because the pasta is so small, it will need to cook in the broth rather than cooking separately and draining.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Olive Oil: use extra virgin olive oil to cook the veggies.
- Onion: you can use a yellow onion or any white onion.
- Celery: about 4 stalks of celery.
- Carrots: you’ll need about 3-4 large carrots.
- Garlic: fresh garlic is best, about two large cloves.
- Broth: use your favorite homemade chicken broth or store-bought chicken stock. I like the low-sodium variety.
- Pastina: small pastina pasta can be found in most grocery stores. You can substitute any small pasta shapes you like.
- Chicken: use leftover shredded chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken.
- Parmesan: a sprinkle of parmesan cheese is the perfect way to enjoy the soup. If you have parmesan rind, add it to the broth as the soup cooks.
- Salt & Pepper: season with kosher salt and black pepper. You can also add in any fresh herbs or a bay leaf if you’d like.
How to Make Chicken Pastina Soup
This classic Italian Chicken Pastina Soup is a delicious and comforting soup that’s like a warm hug on a cold day! This comes together fast and can be made with leftover cooked chicken, or you can cook a chicken breast in the broth as the soup cooks.
Step 1: cook the veggies
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Then, add in the onion, celery, and carrots and stir to combine. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the vegetables have started to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
Step 2: add in flavorful broth
Pour in the broth and add the salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer on medium-low heat. Cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Step 3: puree the chicken pastina soup broth
Use a slotted spoon to remove about 1 ½ cups of the cooked vegetables; set aside. Then, turn off the heat and carefully blend the remaining soup mixture with an immersion blender until smooth.
Step 4: add in the pastina and chicken
Bring the soup back to a low boil and add in the uncooked pasta. Cook until just al dente, according to package instructions; about 9 minutes.
Once the pasta is cooked, add in the diced cooked chicken and reserved veggies. Stir to combine and warm through.
Taste the soup for seasonings and adjust as needed. Serve warm with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, Italian parsley, and side of crusty Italian bread.
Tips for Making Chicken Pastina Soup
- Pastina can be found in the pasta aisle of most grocery stores. You could substitute with any small pasta shape you like.
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender instead. Just be sure to let the mixture cool down a bit before adding to your blender. Also, be sure to not overfill the blender and remove the center cap on the blender and cover it with a clean towel to allow the heat to vent.
- If you are making this with raw chicken breast, add the chicken while the vegetable and broth are boiling. Let cook for 20 minutes, then remove before pureeing the vegetables. Add the cooked chicken back in while the pasta cooks and then remove and dice before serving. Be sure the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
More Italian Comfort Foods
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Chicken Pastina Soup
Equipment
- large pot or dutch oven
- immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 stalks celery, diced
- ¾ pound carrots, peeled and diced (about 3-4 large carrots)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about two teaspoons)
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup uncooked pastina (or any very small pasta)
- 2 cups cooked chicken, diced (use leftover rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken breasts)
- grated parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Then, add in the onion, celery, and carrots and stir to combine. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the vegetables have started to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Pour in the broth and add the salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer on medium-low heat. Cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove about 1 ½ cups of the cooked vegetables; set aside. Then, turn off the heat and carefully blend the remaining soup mixture with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Bring the soup back to a low boil and add in the uncooked pasta. Cook until just al dente, according to package instructions; about 9 minutes.
- Once the pasta is cooked, add in the diced cooked chicken and reserved veggies. Stir to combine and warm through.
- Taste for seasonings and add more if needed. Serve with a grated parmesan cheese.
