Pastina for One: The Ultimate Comfort Food in Minutes

When you’re feeling worn down and under the weather, nothing revitalizes the soul quite like a warm bowl of Pastina soup. This simple yet flavorful Italian classic is often called “Italian penicillin” for its ability to comfort and nourish. My Pastina for One takes the traditional recipe and adds a touch of cacao e pepe influence with lots of parmigiano reggiano and freshly cracked black pepper. Cozy up with a bowl of this carby-comfort soup that’s as easy to make as it is delicious.

Why I love Pastina for One, and hope you will, too

As soup fanatics, we know that there are soups we love, and then there are soups we crave. Pastina for One is one of the latter. For those who love simple pasta dishes, this soup is the kick!

It’s easy enough to make on-demand, especially for single servings, and it doesn’t make you feel like it’s too much effort for just one bowl. Especially when you’re sniffly and achy and want something hot and comforting, without a lot of fuss.

It’s flexible, too, as it can be made brothy for a more sippable experience, or a little heftier — almost like risotto — for the ultimate carby pasta bowl. I also add loads of parmigiano reggiano and black pepper to my Pastina, for a Cacio e Pepe treatment.

What about the egg? In some traditional pasta recipes stir in a whisked egg at the end of cooking. While it’s a lovely technique for adding silkiness, I don’t particularly enjoy the effect here, as much as I do with, say, Avgolemono soup. It’s just personal preference, as for my tastes, the butter and finely grated cheese add plenty of smooth richness to the bowl. (Now, thinking about it as I type, topping the soup with a jammy soft-boiled egg just might be something I’ll try in the future!)

Whatever your preference, Pastina for One

for One deserves a spot on your list of Quick Soup Recipes.

Pastina for One for One is —

• Incredibly comforting: Perfect for when you’re feeling under the weather or just need a cozy meal after a day out in the cold and snow.
• Quick and easy to make: Ready in about 20 minutes with minimal ingredients.
• Deliciously satisfying: The combination of parmesan cheese and black pepper adds a delicious cacao e pepe twist.
• Budget-friendly: Made with simple, affordable ingredients that are probably already in your pantry.

Main Ingredients and Substitutions

Certainty — Pastina for One for One —is pasta made into a very small shape, often stars or “gears.” It doesn’t cook up much more quickly than other pasta shapes, such as rotini or spaghetti, but it does break down more readily, in the sense of giving off starches that produce the super comfy soup that is Pastina.

Pastina pasta can be hard to find in the U.S. It was discontinued by a popular manufacturer, and then everyone else followed suit. I bought pasta on Amazon because I was ordering something else anyway. You can substitute another small pasta, such as pearl couscous, acini de pepe, or alphabet pasta.

Aromatics — Because I make pasta for myself, I always add some aromatics; here, shallots and garlic. I love plain pasta as much as the next carb fanatic, but I appreciate the extra boost of flavor (and nutrition) added from the allium family of vegetables (the allium classification includes onions, leeks, shallots, and garlic).

Parmigiano Reggiano — The classic parmesan cheese is a must-have for this dish. It’s simply not Pastina for One without it! Buy a wedge and grate it fresh if you can.

Butter — A little knob of butter adds a velvety richness to the Pastina. While a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil is nice at the end, there’s no substitute for the unique creaminess of butter.

Seasonings — Black pepper adds a zippy kick to an otherwise purposefully bland dish, while lemon juice provides a nice boost of acid. The goal here is not to complicate the recipe but rather to almost effortlessly heighten flavor.

Cook’s Notes

• If you’re making pasta for the kiddos, use your judgment about what ingredients to leave out. Maybe shallots and garlic are too much for a young palate? I’d recommend keeping the cheese, butter, and lemon juice, though.
• The dish you see in my photos in this post leans more towards risotto than outright soup. Pastina traditionally walks that line, and it’s completely up to you where you want your own land. Stick to the recipe here if you prefer it pasta-ier. Add more broth if you want it soupier. You don’t need to change cooking times or any of the process steps below. There will simply be more liquid in the pot.
• Be sure to finely grate the parm. It’s a hard, aged cheese that is reluctant to melt, so grating it to wispy threads will speed that process along. I use a hand-held cheese grater for that task (rather than a box grater), which can also be used to mince the garlic clove.
• Can you make this soup ahead of time? Not really. The small pasta tends to clump together in a sticky blob when refrigerated, and reheating the soup overcooks everything just a little too much. But of course, it’s all a matter of personal preference. (You know how strands of spaghetti stick together in a thick bundle when they’re not stirred enough during cooking? Yum, that’s my jam lol.) The soup will not go bad overnight in the fridge. It simply won’t have the same texture as when cooked fresh.

How to Make Pastina for One

Ready to make the recipe? Skip to the recipe card now to get the full ingredient list, quantities, prep/cooking times, and printable, detailed instructions. Or, keep scrolling for a visual walk-through of making the soup.

Prep notes

Here are some helpful guidelines for prepping the recipe ingredients. Anything that simply needs to be measured out of a container – such as dried herbs and liquids – is not addressed here. Note that you can measure everything out into separate bowls or containers ahead of time. It’s a classic organizational technique called set up — literally, “everything in its place” — that helps the cooking workflow run smoothly.

• Squeeze the juice from half of a lemon into a small bowl. You can also use prepared lemon juice. It’s perfectly okay to take shortcuts when you’re not feeling well (or any time! It’s a legit shortcut).
• Grate the parmigiano reggiano very finely. You can use a fine-holed grater or micro planer for this.
• Peel and chop the shallot very finely.
• Peel the garlic and cut off the root end. Then mince. You can also use the microplaner.
• Grind peppercorns for the freshest take on the black pepper.
• Slice a one-tablespoon piece of butter from the stick or block.

Step 1:

Saute the shallots and garlic in a little oil until fragrant, about a minute or two. Pour in the broth and bring the soup up to a simmer.

Step 2:

When the liquids are bubbling, add the Pastina for One. Stir frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot. This also serves to agitate the pasta, releasing its starches to thicken the soup. In the photo above to the right, you can see how the broth has become cloudy and somewhat thickened with the pasta’s starches. This is good.

Step 3:

When the pasta has been cooked to the time on the package directions (for the brand I used, that was 11 minutes), remove the pot from the heat.

Stir in the butter until the pasta is nice and glossy.

Step 4:

Stir in the grated cheese, followed by the black pepper and lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Pastina for One is best served fresh with extra Parmigiano Reggiano and a little chopped parsley for color.

I hope you’ll try this simple soup before the winter is up. I think you’ll enjoy the speed and ease with which it all comes together, and most of all, the carby comfort it brings.

Pastina for One

Pastina for One is a comforting and flavorful take on the classic Italian dish. Perfect for a simple lunch or dinner when something quick and easy is called for.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

• Olive or avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 clove garlic finely grated
• 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or chicken bone broth*
• 1/2 cup pasta pasta (or other small pasta, such as acini de pepe or pearled couscous)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• Pour a glug of oil into a small 1 or 2-quart pot set over medium heat. When the surface of the oil shimmers, add the shallots and garlic, and stir for a minute or two, until fragrant.
• Add the broth and raise the heat to bring the soup to an active simmer.
• Add the pasta, and adjust the heat to maintain the simmer (not a roiling boil). Stir frequently to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot, which it wants to do! Stirring also provides some agitation that will help the pasta release its starches into the broth, for natural thickening.
• Cook the pasta according to package directions. For the brand I used, it’s 11 minutes. For a soft pasta, cook it one minute past al dente.
• Stir in the butter, mixing it well with the pasta, followed by the cheese. Stir until the pasta is smooth and the butter and cheese are fully incorporated.
• Finally, mix in the lemon juice.
• Serve with extra grated cheese and another sprinkling of black pepper. For extra lusciousness, drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil over the top.

* Use 1 1/4 cups of broth for a patina that leans towards risotto. Use 1 1/2 cups for something a little more brothy.