With just a handful of simple ingredients, you can make this cozy Pastina Soup to share with the kids in under 30 minutes. This is a perfect fast meal for any night of the week—or one that’s extra nourishing for anyone dealing with a cold or illness.
Tiny star pasta soup was one of the staples of my Italian-American childhood, and it’s something my kids adore eating now. The shape of the tiny pasta, or pastina, is so fun, and the rest of the ingredients add plenty of cozy flavor. I love how fast this soup for kids cooks up, how easy it is to adjust (sometimes I omit the onion and use more carrot, for example), and how much it helps us all feel satisfied and nourished.
We usually have this easy toddler meal with cheese and crackers, but even just a side of Homemade Applesauce would do—whatever works! It’s a great food for sickness and can be made with a variety of broths.
(It ranks right up with Alphabet Soup and Chicken Soup as one of my kids very favorite soups. Also, check out my classic Pastina Pasta, which is thicker.)
Table of Contents
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What is Pastina?
Pastina is a very small star-shaped pasta that cooks incredibly fast. Pastina pasta is often served to babies and children, as it is easy to eat and swallow. Pastina is also incredibly comforting when paired with butter, egg, or broth, like we do here.
Many pasta brands make it, including Barilla, La Moderna, Anna, and Colavita. You may have more success finding it in supermarkets with larger Italian sections. Target’s store brand also makes pasta in the shape of stars that is a little bit larger but very similar.
You can also use acini di pepe, which is a small couscous-like pasta shape.
Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at what you need to make this Italian soup recipe so you know what to have on hand:
- Minced celery, carrot, and onion: You can mince this yourself for homemade mirepoix or look for pre-chopped mirepoix in the produce or freezer aisle of your store.
- Low-sodium chicken broth: I like to use broth with less salt so I can control that flavor myself. Feel free to use vegetable broth or beef broth if you prefer. You can use store-bought or homemade chicken broth or chicken stock or my Vegetable Broth.
- Star pastina: Look for this in the pasta aisle of your store. You can use orzo or acni di pepe if needed.
- Frozen petite peas: We stir these in at the end for a bright color and a little more protein.
- Parmesan cheese: This adds flavor to the easy soup.
- Fresh lemon zest (optional): You can top the soup with fresh lemon juice and zest for additional bright flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s an overview of the method of making this Pastina Soup for kids. Scroll down to the end of the post for the full information, including the amounts and timing.
Step 1. Add the celery, carrot, and onion to a pot over medium heat. Cook. (You can also use Frozen Mirepoix.)
Step 2. Add the broth and raise the heat to high. When the broth starts to boil, turn down the heat to simmer.
Step 3. Add the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
Step 4. Stir in the peas, Parmesan, and lemon zest, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can either cook it in a large pot of salted boiling water, like any other pasta shape, or to make soup you can cook it directly in simmering broth.
Pastina is a nourishing soup option that can be a rich source of vitamin A and C, in addition to nutrients from chicken broth.
Pastina is a classic comfort food, often used to feed kids and adults during illnesses. To me, it’s so good because it’s simple, easy to eat, yet flavorful enough to be delicious.
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Warm in a heat-safe bowl in the microwave, adding additional broth if desired.
This Italian comfort food is delicious as reheated leftovers sent in a kids thermos for school lunch for kindergarten, too.
Best Tips for Success
- Use vegetable broth to make this kids soup vegetarian.
- Add cooked and diced or shredded skinless chicken breasts or chicken meatballs for a variation on the idea—or serve with a side salad if you’d like.
- Make this easier by starting with pre-cut mirepoix from the produce aisle of your supermarket.
- Simmer Parmesan rind in the broth for extra flavor.
- Top with shredded fresh herbs, such as basil or parsley, or cracked black pepper.
- If you can’t find tiny star pasta, try another small shape such as ditalini, ABC pasta, wagon wheels, acini di pepe, or orzo.
- When reheating, add more broth as desired if the pasta absorbs it all.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this post, so please rate and comment below!
Quick Pastina Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup minced celery (about 1 stalk, ends discarded)
- ½ cup minced carrot (about 1 carrot, ends discarded)
- ½ cup minced onion (about 1 small onion peeled and ends discarded)
- 1 quart reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup pastina
- 1 cup frozen petite peas
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a medium pot over medium heat. When warm, add the celery, carrot, and onion. Stir to coat and cook for 2 minutes, or until just starting to soften.
- Add the broth and raise the heat to high. When the broth starts to boil, turn down the heat to medium so it simmers.
- Add the pasta. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the peas, Parmesan, and lemon zest, if using.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. Warm in a heat-safe bowl in a small pot or in the microwave, adding broth if desired.
- Use my Vegetable Broth to make this vegetarian.
- Make this easier by starting with pre-cut mirepoix from the produce aisle of your supermarket. Or make homemade mirepoix and stash it in the freezer.
- Simmer Parmesan rind in the broth for extra flavor.
- Find pastina online if needed: Barilla, La Moderna, Anna, and Colavita.
Nutrition
This post was first published October 2022.
I’ve made this soup at least three times in the last few weeks and have griped the batch each time. Used an emulsion blender to purée some of the veggies and broth. Added lemon preserves instead of fresh lemons and finish with black pepper when serving. Both my one year old and I love it!
Could we freeze the leftovers?
Sure!
This soup has become my go-to when sick. It’s quick to make, the amount lasts a number of days and tastes great. Highly recommend.
I’ve made this soup many times in the past few months, it’s quick and easy. The one thing to know is that the pasta stars will sop up the leftover broth, but honestly my toddler is not a master of soup-eating so it’s not a big issue for us. You could have a little more broth on standby if you want to add it to the leftovers. Also — grate your own parmesan, pre-grated (or at least stuff in the green Kraft shaker) will cause blobs of cheese! Not a huge issue, but a little distressing if it’s meant for a baby or toddler.
I have made this at least once a week this winter season. Easy to double and great with leftover shredded chicken thrown in. Fantastic!
This tasted amazing especially with all the colds going through our house! Just what we needed. I loved it as did our 18 month old – and so easy to make! Have everything out to make another batch tonight!
This was absolutely delicious. I didn’t think my 21 month old would enjoy it as much as he did. It just tastes like comfort. A big hug. I’m obsessed. I proportioned the leftovers and froze them. I’m curious to see how they thaw!
Doubled the recipe, used orzo, added a rotisserie chicken, a few bay leaves and reduced the parm by half since that’s all I had on hand. Also sauteed the carrots & celery while I deboned the chicken so they cooked a bit longer than listed. This soup was terrific and the house full of sick people loved it!