Have you ever heard of Pastina? Chances are, you've at least seen this viral dish floating around on social media. If you're Italian, you may have grown up with this dish. My grandmother was a first-generation American. Her parents came over from Italy (Napoli) and raised their family in New England. I grew up eating lots of delicious Italian-American foods among my grandmother's gigantic Italian family, but Pastina wasn't one of those foods.

Pastina simply means 'little pasta.' Most people think of the tiny little star-shaped pasta when they hear Pastina. People swear by Pastina as the ultimate 'feel better food' when they're sick. It's also been dubbed Italian penicillin and for good reason. You can make Pastina in a variety of ways... as a soup when you're sick, as an easy-on-the-tummy bowl of comfort when it's hard to keep anything down, and as an anytime comfort food.

What makes Pastina so good? The tiny pasta pieces cook in water or broth, soaking it all up. You can flavor your Pastina in lots of delicious ways to make it just your own.

I made Pastina two ways- in broth, and in water. I wanted my Pastina to be cooked in broth, while my kids just wanted plain pasta, so I cooked theirs in water. No matter which way you want to enjoy your Pastina, the ratios for creamy Pastina are the same.

Classic Italian Pastina

You Will Need:

1 Cup of Pastina (tiny pasta)

4 Cups of Chicken Broth

2 Tbsp of Butter

1/4 Cup of Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions

In a pot or dutch oven, bring 4 cups of chicken broth to a boil. 

Add the pastina, and allow to cook according to directions. Al dente Pastina needs about 7-8 minutes cooking time. Allow the Pastina to cook on medium heat, stirring regularly. You'll know the Pastina is done when most of the liquid is absorbed by the pasta. 

Add the butter and Parmesan cheese. Stir until incorporated.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately.

Your creamy Pastina might remind you of good old southern cheesy grits with a smoother texture. Yum! This silky, cheesy, creamy pasta dish is heaven in a bowl!

If your kids aren't fans of chicken broth, just boil the Pastina in salted water instead. Add butter and cheese, or omit the cheese if your kids are as picky as mine are.

Both versions of the Pastina I made turned out to be so delicious! All five of us absolutely loved this dish; my kids asked for seconds! This is the type of food you'll find yourself eating right out of the pot with a spoon... it's that good!

We can't wait to make Pastina again. Have you ever tried Pastina? If not, I hope you'll give it a try!

Wishing you a delicious week!