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Italian Chicken Pastina Soup (aka Italian Nonna's Penicillin Soup)

A comforting and hearty Italian-inspired chicken soup with tiny pasta, fresh herbs, and tender vegetables, perfect for soothing and nourishing.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Base ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 large onion (diced small)
  • 1 large shallot (finely chopped)
  • 4 stalks celery (diced small)
  • 1 large yellow bell pepper (diced small)
  • 4 medium cloves garlic (minced)
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth (maybe more)
  • 1 pound carrots (diced small)
  • 1 optional parmesan rind
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (more to taste)
  • ⅓ cup uncooked pastina (tiny pasta, double if you like a lot of pasta)
  • 2½ -3 cups rotisserie or leftover chicken
For serving
  • grated Parmesan for serving
Herbs and pepper
  • finely chopped fresh rosemary and/or fresh thyme leaves

Method
 

  1. Heat oil and butter in a large pot. Add onion, shallot, celery, and bell pepper; cook until translucent (4-5 min). Add garlic and cook 2 min.
  2. Add broth, carrots, parmesan rind (if using), and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer 20-25 min until veggies are tender. Remove parmesan rind.
  3. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions. Stir in chicken and reserved veggies, then rest covered for 20 min.
  4. Adjust seasoning, then serve topped with Parmesan, herbs, and black pepper.

Notes

For a creamier texture, blend a portion of the soup more thoroughly or add a splash of cream.