Easy Italian Pastina Soup

5 from 12 votes

Easy Italian Chicken Pastina Soup is made with homemade chicken broth and tiny pasta stars. Just one bite of this cozy soup that warms the soul will bring you right back to nonna’s kitchen. A rich chicken broth made chicken wings, carrots, onions, and celery. This comforting soup is ready in an hour.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chicken, pasta, soup

Servings:

Calories: 318kcal

Author: Lora

Equipment

Ingredients

2 to 3 quarts water (about 8 cups water, or as needed)
3 ½ pounds chicken wings chopped at the joints
1 small yellow onion peeled and left whole
4 medium carrots peeled and cut in half
4 medium celery stalks cleaned and cut in half
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
2 bay leaves
fresh parsley
fresh dill
1½ cups pastina pasta

Instructions

Place chicken in large soup pot with cover (I used my 7 quart nonstick Dutch oven). Add enough water to cover the chicken (about 8 cups).
Add in the onion, carrots, celery, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a low boil and begin to skim the fat (some foam should be floating to the top) off. Do this until most of the foam has been removed (could take 20 minutes more or less). Add in the salt and pepper (if using).
Add in the fresh dill and parsley (if you’re using). Continue to simmer gently for about one hour.
Taste soup and add additional salt, pepper.
Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve or strainer into a large bowl. Reserve the carrots. Reserve the chicken (take off the bones) if you're serving the broth with chicken.
If you’re cooking the pastina in the broth:
Strain the broth (reserve the carrots and take the chicken off the bone, if you’ll be serving it with the pastina). Bring 6 cups of chicken broth to a boil.
Add the pastina and reduce heat to a simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until al dente. Ladle into bowls and serve with pieces of the carrots. Add on some grated cheese if you like.
The other option is to cook the pastina in a pot of boiling water. Reduce heat to a simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until al dente. Strain the pastina and portion directly to bowls and ladle the broth on top.

Notes

Homemade chicken broth with wings is super easy to make. If you prefer to use store bought broth, choose a low sodium and a nicer quality brand so that it will have the best flavor. You could even use rotisserie chicken, for convenience.
Pastina cooked in the soup will continue to soak up the broth when it is stored in the refrigerator. The pastina will be mushy the next day. If you cook extra pastina, store it separately from the broth.
You could use whatever small shape you happen to have on hand. But the kids love the tiny stars! Look for tiny shapes made for soups and stews.
You can store chicken broth or stock in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze for 2-3 months.

Nutrition