Pastina. This pasta was one of the first foods I ever ate. Bowls of pastina nourished my childhood. My mom would make it and everything would be ok. Sadly, this pasta is often hard to find at the local supermarket. I find my fix at Molinari’s so I recommend checking out your local Italian deli to find yours.

Pastina is a tradition and I make it for my family today. My son Paul has been battling a fever and a cold the past few days. Today, he finally perked up and was ready to eat. Yes, a sign of health in my house is hunger. I whipped up some pastina and all was magically better.

Pastina

Prep time 1-2 minutes, Cook time 20-25 minutes

Serves 2-3 people

Ingredients

• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup pastina
• 2.5 cups of chicken broth
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese (plus more to sprinkle on top of your bowl)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Pour chicken broth into a 3-quart saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, approximately 10-12 minutes. Then, add pastina and carrots. Lower the heat to medium. Cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the pastina has absorbed most of the broth, stir in the egg and Parmesan cheese. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle a few grinds of salt and black pepper, to taste. Remove from heat and serve. Make sure to have Parmesan cheese to add to your bowl!

This meal has been Paul approved!