Pastina Soup
Published Dec 01, 2025
Easy pastina soup comes together fast, made with tiny pasta, veggies, chicken broth, and a squeeze of lemon. Only 5 minutes to prep!
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Italian pastina soup is so cozy!
I grew up calling this pastina soup the cure-all for everything from colds to bad days, and I still make it the exact same way. Tiny pasta, a quick broth, a squeeze of lemon. Now I make pastina soup for my own kids when I want dinner that’s easy, quick, and doesn’t require much thinking. I keep the ingredients on hand because it’s a 20-minute situation from start to finish, and it’s always soo good!
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
This recipe is part of our monthly Cooking Challenge for October 2026!
Pastina Soup Ingredients
- Pastina: If you can’t find pastina, you can use another tiny pasta like orzo, ditalini, farfalline, or ancini di pepe.
- Chicken broth: Use homemade chicken broth or buy low-sodium chicken broth at the store. To make it vegetarian, use homemade vegetable broth.
- Yellow onion: White onion is fine if that’s what you have. Read my tips on how to dice an onion.
- Carrot: Here’s a quick tutorial on how to dice a carrot.
- Celery: And here’s how to dice celery.
- Lemon: Choose a lemon that feels smooth and thin-skinned. Those are the juiciest!
Read my tips on how to juice a lemon and how to zest a lemon, because you’ll do both in this recipe. - Unsalted butter: I recommend unsalted butter so you can better control the amount of salt in the recipe. You can use salted if that’s what you have, but I recommend using less salt at first. You can always add more.
- Parmesan cheese: Pecorino Romano is a good substitute.
- Seasonings: Just salt and pepper.
How to Make Pastina Soup
Pastina Soup Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 1 medium carrot peeled and finely diced
- 1 celery stalk finely diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ¾ cup uncooked pastina or Acini di Pepe
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- 1 small lemon zest and juice
- Chopped Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft and fragrant.
- Pour in the broth and bring to a gentle boil.
- Add the pastina and cook according to package directions, about 12–15 minutes, or until tender.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Serve warm, topped with extra Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
- My Top Tip: Cut even-sized vegetables. This helps everything cook at the same rate, especially since some veggies (like carrots) take longer than others.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4–5 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through.
- Freezing: The soup will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing the soup without the pastina so it doesn’t get mushy. I also recommend freezing it in individual portions for easier thawing. Thaw in the fridge overnight, reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through, and serve with fresh pastina.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Add protein: Stir in a handful of shredded chicken, chicken sausage, or a can of your favorite white beans.
- Simmer with a Parmesan rind: Add it to the pot while the pastina soup simmers and remove it before serving. It might dissolve, so don’t worry if you can’t find it!
- Serve with a poached egg. You can poach an egg directly in the soup. Or, read my tips on how to cook a poached egg and add it separately.
Recipe Tips
- Cut even-sized vegetables. This helps everything cook at the same rate, especially since some veggies (like carrots) take longer than others.
- Cook the soup uncovered. The flavor will actually be bolder if you don’t cover the pot while it cooks. Leaving it uncovered lets some of the liquid evaporate, which makes the soup more concentrated.
- Season at the end: The chicken broth reduces as it cooks, so I recommend waiting until the end to adjust the salt and pepper so you don’t over-salt the soup.
Serving Ideas
- Meatballs: Air Fryer Meatballs, Greek Meatballs, Lamb Meatballs
- Salads: Simple Green Salad, Mixed Greens Salad, Chopped Green Goddess Salad
- Sides: Bruschetta, Rosemary Focaccia, Grilled Eggplant
FAQs
Try adding more salt, pepper, fresh parsley, or a dash of acid like lemon juice or vinegar to brighten the flavors.
Yes! Add a splash of coconut milk or a dollop of Greek yogurt when serving. Start with a small amount and adjust to your taste.
Yes! Combine all of the ingredients, except for the pastina, in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6–7 hours or on high for 4 hours. Add the pastina 15–20 minutes before serving.
Comments
The first cold of the season is coming on. I made this super simple soup and it hit the spot. I didn’t have pastini; so I substituted thin spaghetti pasta broken into one inch pieces. It turned out better than that old boxed soup my dad made everyday.
So glad the soup hit the spot when you weren’t feeling well! Happy the broken spaghetti worked with what you had on hand. Hope you feel better soon!
This soup was so flavorful and comforting! I added some shredded rotisserie chicken to make it a little more like chicken noodle soup, and it turned out delicious! Even hubby, who doesn’t believe soup is a meal (I know, right?!), loved it for dinner 🙂
Haha, winning over someone who doesn’t think soup counts as dinner is a good sign! So happy you both enjoyed it. Love that the rotisserie chicken gave it that chicken noodle soup feel!
I’m a soup person, and this was wonderful! Such a comforting soup! If you’re feeling under the weather, this is the perfect soup to help soothe what’s ailing you! If you’re not, go for it anyway! I added a little Italian sausage and a jalapeno. Perfect!
I’m a soup person, too! So happy you enjoyed this one and made it your own with Italian sausage and jalapeño. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, Laurie!
I love soups all year but especially in the autumn and winter. I made this soup using No-Chicken Broth, as I am a pescatarian, white beans for some protein (could also swap out for shrimp, salmon or plant-based ch’ken). Loved this and shared with a friend who greatly enjoyed as well.
So happy you and your friend enjoyed the soup! Glad you could make it work for you with the broth swap and white beans. Love that you made some to share. Hope you enjoy it all soup season long!
Loved the flavor. Super easy to make. I used ditali pasta & added a minced garlic clove. The Parmesan & lemon added at the end is top notch! Thanks Yumna
So happy you enjoyed it! Glad the Parmesan and lemon at the end made it extra delicious for you. Thanks for sharing your tweaks!
I love soups even when it is hot outside. This recipe was easy to make and it is so so good 😊.
I love soup year-round, too! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Agnes!
I made this exactly as written and it was delicious. I was able to find the pastina. I will definitely have this one on rotation until spring. Thank you for the recipe.
So happy you enjoyed it and were able to find the pastina! Love hearing this will be in your rotation for the next few months. Hope you enjoy every batch just as much!
Excellent soup and good comfort food as the weather turns cooler. I put a few of my own twists on it but kept the base the same. I simmer it all with a Parmesan rind and add a few cups of diced rotisserie chicken. In addition to add a bit more body, I puree a portion of the vegetables and broth. Finally finish with a hefty handful of frozen peas and fresh parsley. YUM!
So happy you enjoyed the soup! The Parmesan rind and rotisserie chicken sound like delicious additions. Hope you enjoy it all cozy season long!
Excellent as usual! I did a combo of this recipe and the shrimp soup since they are very similar. Used vegetable broth, added shrimp, parm, lemon juice. So healthy and quick to make!
Love that!! So glad you enjoyed it, Karen. Thanks so much!
Can I make the pastina soup with vegetable broth instead of chicken broth?
Yes, absolutely!
Made today for lunch. It was surprisingly filling. But man the taste was great! Thanks!
Awww, so glad you liked it!! Thank you!