Italian Pastina Soup With Egg & Parmesan

The cosy weather has started and you are craving food that’s cosy and nourishing. Is that right?

Or perhaps, you got a bug and aren’t feeling that well, so you’re looking for a meal that’s easy on your digestion and also good for you.

Well, either way, Italian pastina soup is a great recipe to make for yourself or a loved one who is in need of a comfort meal.

In this post, I will share my delicious recipe — a unique take on the classic penicillin soup that adds both nutrition and taste with just three extra ingredients.

Grab your pot and let’s whip up this cozy, nourishing soup in no time.

PIN IT FOR LATER!

Why Is Pastina Soup So Good For You?

Before I share my Italian pastina recipe, let’s clear up this whole “penicillin soup” thing — and what it really means.

You’re likely here because you’ve heard online creators, maybe on Instagram or on YouTube, call this Italian pasta soup a miracle food for when you’re sick — so much so that it’s now being called Italian penicillin soup. But is it really?

In Italy, no one grew up calling pastina “penicillin soup”, so this term has always left me baffled.

I am no doctor, but from doing a little research I can see that penicillin is a type of antibiotic given to treat bacterial infections that most likely come with fever.

It’s not, however, something you would be given for a bad cold or flu.

On the other hand, pastina is the perfect meal when you are feeling poorly — whether it’s your stomach, a cold, or the flu.

So I still don’t get the penicillin association..

That’s likely because I never heard it before until two years ago. It’s certainly not how I grew up hearing my cosy pastina being called.

After digging a bit more, I confirmed that the Italian penicillin soup — or penicillina Italiana, as some Italian creators now call it to attract an international audience — is actually a term coined in the U.S.

It was given this name for the same reason that Jewish penicillin soup got its nickname — these soups are said to be miracle foods when you’re sick. They have a reputation for making you feel better the moment you start eating, much like antibiotics are supposed to.

But is that really true?

Can pastina in brodo actually be a cure in a bowl?

In Italy, we simply call it pastina in brodo, or just pastina for short.

The answer is yes and no.

Yes — Italian pastina soup can make you feel better instantly, if only because you believe it has that power.

No — while pastina can comfort and nourish you, it isn’t a literal antibiotic.

That said, the ingredients often used in pastina — like onion, carrot, celery, and extra-virgin olive oil — have natural nutrients that support your immune system and overall wellness. So while it won’t fight bacteria like real penicillin, it’s still a gentle, healing meal for when you’re under the weather.

Picture This: Childhood Comfort in a Bowl

Little Maurizio has come early from school because he has caught a bug. His mum prepares for him a cosy spot on the sofa, with a blanket and a bottle of water, which comes with a bonus of cartoons outside the allocated hours. What a treat!

It doesn’t stop there..

Mamma Maria is about to make Marcello a meal that’s going to get him better, at least that’s what he’s told!

That meal is pastina, and is presented to him in a small but full to the brim bowl. 

Mamma Maria laid it out for him on a small embroidered place setting with a neatly folded napkin, a tablespoon, and a glass of room-temperature water.

Mamma Maria lovingly calls Marcello to the table for his pastina.

As he sits down, he feels the care and love from his mum, who took the time to prepare this impromptu soup just for him. His older sister and his dad are still not home.

He’s already feeling a little better, and he hasn’t even taken a bite.

Why is that?

It’s the cosiness of his home, the reassurance that all is well inside those walls, the love and care he feels from his mum, his nonnas who both called him on the phone as soon as he got home from school.

On top of that, his mum has made him the famous pastina soup, the one that cures all bugs!

And so with all of that in his mind and heart, he takes his first spoonful of goodness, and then the next one, and so on. 

By the time he has finished eating his bowl of pastina, he feels warm and cosy from the inside. His belly is full and satisfied, without feeling stuffed.

He drinks his glass of water and goes back on the sofa to lie down and watch cartoons.

Do you get why pastina is really good for you?

It’s a mix of all of these reasons:

1. A warm simple meal that tastes incredible and is also easy on digestion.
2. Made with a few wholesome nutritious ingredients.
3. The love and care of those who made it for you, whether that’s now or in the past. Even if you are making it for yourself, you can still remember that love and care, and its power is still within your mind and body.

In simple terms, pastina gives you a placebo effect. You know it’s going to make you feel better and so you start feeling so.

Of course, it helps that it’s a warm meal, made with a few good ingredients, that are not going to weigh on your digestion.

You likely wouldn’t get the same effect from eating a burger with chips!

Isn’t that lovely?

Little Marcello is now a big man, with a wife and two kids. But when he gets sick, his mum or wife still prepare him a bowl of pastina. That makes him feel immediately better. Of course, Marcello might still need to go to the doctor and take a prescription, but that plate of goodness is always there to make things better.

What I am trying to say is that a placebo is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when it comes in the form of a nutritious meal.

Do you agree?

If you’re a mum reading this to make pastina for your children, pastina is more than just a plate of soup you are going to make for them. It’s the beginning of a tradition and many memories of love and care, as well as a comfort meal they are going to want to eat forever.

Italian Pastina Soup Variations

When us Italians were little, pastina came in various formats, depending on the household or whichever ingredients mum had at home.

It could be a simple plain bowl of pasta in broth.

If we were lucky, we could even get a formaggino added to it. Formaggino is a small, individually wrapped, portion of cream cheese that mums usually add to pastina for kids. They are also given to small kids who are starting to eat solids. And they can be great for spreading on bread or crackers.

The most famous brand for us Italians, the one I grew up eating, is Formaggino Mio by Nestlé.

But pastina is not a meal just for kids; adults love it too, especially when it comes with the addition of a scrambled egg, and a parsley garnish.

Moreover, the broth in which Italian pastina is cooked can be more elaborate and include different meats – beef broth is the most loved, but you can also use chicken, and sausage. It’s also common to serve pastina soup with small pieces of meat or chicken.

Some recipe variations also include fresh tomato, tomato passata or paste, for that added richness. It also makes the pale looking dish instantly brighter.

Different vegetables can be added.

You can also try different shapes of small pasta, even ones that are slightly larger.

And you can add any cheeses you love.

Pastina meets Roman Stracciatella Soup

Those pastina variations are all straight forward, so I hope I gave you plenty of ideas for making your pastina soup in so many ways you could  enjoy it weekly throughout the colder months.

Let me give you one more..

There’s this Roman soup, called Stracciatella alla Romana or Stracciatella in brodo, that’s very close to the basic pastina recipe.

This recipe starts with a broth — which can be vegetarian or not, it skips the pasta, and it adds the stracciatella part.

While stracciatella is both the name of an Italian cheese and a gelato flavor, in this case, it’s neither of those things.

Stracciatella is the name given to the recipe because of the texture the beaten egg takes after it’s dropped in the boiling hot broth. It resembles tiny strips, which are called stracci in Italian.

So, for this pastina recipe, I came up with the idea of combining pastina and stracciatella romana, by simply adding the egg component to our basic pastina soup. 

The egg mixture in Stracciatella soup always comes with parmesan. Those two ingredients are often added to pastina soup. 

But the unique aspect of the stracciatella soup recipe is that you can flavor it the way you want it. You can add parsley, lemon, lemon and parsley, nutmeg, and even switch up the parmesan for pecorino, or use both.

We’re going to do the same for our pastina recipe! The result is going to be an extra delicious pastina with just a few extra ingredients.

Now that I explained all of that, we are ready to start making this delicious hug in a bowl.

Here comes the recipe.

Italian Pastina Soup Recipe With Egg & Parmesan

Ingredients

Onion, carrot and celery – not only are these the base of an Italian soffritto but also the base for vegetable broth. 

Earlier on, I mentioned that these ingredients pack a lot of nutrients, which makes this dish not too far from being a natural penicillin. Among the three, it’s onions that have natural antibiotic properties. Carrots are a good source of antioxidants and also have antibacterial abilities. Celery has antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Water – water is essential to make your vegetable broth and it’s the vessel that delivers all the goodness that’s extracted while the vegetables simmer in the water. It’s also what makes the majority of that broth we love to sip on or eat along with our pastina.

Pastina – this is obvious the main ingredient of this recipe. Without it this dish wouldn’t even exist, so make sure you’re using a high quality one. Having said that, if you can’t find pastina, you can also use broken spaghetti. Don’t worry, the Italian cooking police won’t knock on your door (ha ha)! Another good option is acini di pepe.

Eggs – adding an egg or two, depending on how many people you are cooking for, is a traditional way to enrich a simple pastina soup and add the extra protein and taste.

Parmesan – parmesan goes with nearly every Italian dish, and it’s especially delicious on vegetable and meat soups, so of course we can’t omit it. It’s also a key component of stracciatella soup, and as I have shared earlier that’s where my recipe twist comes from.

Parsley – if we are making a soup to make us feel better using a herb is essential because herbs are well known for their natural health benefits. Parsley not only pairs amazingly with egg and parmesan, but it’s also a powerhouse of nutrients. It’s rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants.

Extra virgin olive oil – no soup is complete without a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and that’s especially so for pastina. The latter is such a simple recipe that it really needs the richness and fruitiness that a good quality extra virgin olive oil imparts. This is the one I use.

Salt and pepper – the same argument above holds for seasoning. These two, as simple as they are, add that little something to bring a simple pastina soup to life.

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Exact Quantities:

• 2 medium carrots
• 2 medium onions
• 3 celery sticks
• 2 litres water
• 200 gr pastina (I use this one)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 to 3 eggs (I am using one, but I suggest using 3)
• 30 gr grated parmesan (or double it if using more eggs)
• A handful of fresh parsley for each egg you use

Equipment:

• 1 large pot with lid
• 1 chopping board
• 1 vegetable knife
• 1 bowl
• 1 fork
• 1 long silicone or wooden spoon
• 1 soup ladle

How To Make Pastina Soup The Italian Way

Wash, peel and cut your vegetables into small pieces.

Add them to a large pot with a generous drizzle of Italian EVOO.

Let them sauté for 5 to 7 minutes.

Then, add the water.

Season with salt, mix, lower the heat, and cover with a lid.

Let it simmer for an hour.

After that hour has passed, add the pastina to cook inside the vegetable broth you’ve made. 

Cook it for half the time on the packaging instructions. Remember that there’s no draining involved.

In the meantime, prepare your stracciatella. Beat the egg/s in a bowl, add the grated parmesan cheese, and the fresh parsley.

After the five minutes have passed, you are going to add the stracciatella part you’ve prepared. Make sure there’s enough broth for the egg to absorb and for you to have enough to serve. If the broth is not enough, you can always add a little water and season. That shouldn’t be the case.

Let the egg cook for 5 minutes while mixing with a whisk. This will also give the pasta the chance to continue cooking.

Serve your pastina right away with a generous drizzle of EVOO.

Enjoy!

Pastina Variations, Storage & Tips

I have already hinted to the fact that pastina can be made in so many ways by  simply tweaking one or more of its components. But let me be more specific by giving you clear variations ideas for different needs.

If you are vegan – you can make this exact recipe but simply skip the egg and parmesan. You can also add a vegan parmesan, or use nutritional yeast flakes.

If you are vegetarian – you can make this recipe exactly as is, unless you don’t eat eggs. If so, feel free to skip them, or replace them with a creamy cheese.

If you want to make pastina with chicken – you can use a chicken broth, make one from scratch with pieces of chicken, and serve your pastina with the added chicken.

If you want to make pastina soup with beef – you can make a beef broth, and serve your pastina soup with pieces of beef for extra protein.

You might want to try it with sausage – you can add an Italian sausage or two, or maybe one per portion, when cooking the broth or the pastina. Then, you can serve the sausage in the same bowl, or on a separate plate.

You can add a fresh tomato cut into small pieces, or a tablespoon or two of tomato paste. It will make the color and the taste richer, and switch things up.

You can also switch up the parmesan with pecorino cheese for extra flavor, or use a mix of both.

You can also add these other ingredients:

Lemon juice – goes well with the simple vegetable or chicken broth pastina, the egg, the parmesan, and the parsley.

Nutmeg – goes well with the simple vegetable or beef broth pastina, the egg and the parmesan. You can also try this version with the addition of sausage and pecorino cheese.

If you have a stomach bug – I suggest you skip the egg and maybe also the parmesan, and keep your pastina soup really simple. You can enjoy it with all the added ingredients next time.

How to store your pastina soup

I suggest you make pastina and store it in the fridge. You can enjoy it for the next three to four days, although I would say to consume any meat pastina faster than you would with a vegetable one.

If you are making this pastina with the egg I would suggest consuming it right away, or maximum the next day. We all know that we should be careful with reheating and storing egg based dishes.

Make sure to be extra careful to let the pastina cool completely before refrigerating it.

And if you want to be even more careful, do this:

1. Make the pastina soup without the egg and parmesan part.
2. Take out any portions that you want to save for the next few days and put them into a separate storage container. Then, let it cool down on the counter before refrigerating or freezing.
3. Continuous making the rest of the recipe only with the amount of pastina you’re going to consume that day. If you want to add more egg and parmesan to the rest of the soup, you can do so before serving it the next day. This is a little more time consuming but it’s safer.

Having said that, I made this pastina soup with egg for my husband, and he ate it within 3 days. He was fine, so as long as you store it well, it’s all good.

Regarding freezing it, I have never frozen pastina, so I can tell you for sure, but I think it should be fine if you reheat it in a pot. Though, the consistency of the pasta might get a little mushy. I wouldn’t add the eggs.

Italian Pastina Soup FAQ

If you have more questions around pastina soup, I am answering the common ones here. If you still have any other left, join my newsletter (Buona Settimana) and ask away. You can do it for free through one of the signup boxes in this post. I send one weekly email every Sunday.

What is Italian pastina?

As a pasta, pastina is tiny, often star-shaped (or other small shapes), that cooks very quickly. As a dish, it becomes a cosy, nourishing soup — a warm, soothing bowl perfect for when you’re craving comfort or feeling under the weather.

Is pastina soup healthy?

The pasta itself is simple and easy to digest. When turned into soup, pastina becomes even more nourishing — gentle on the stomach and easily boosted with vegetables, olive oil, or a little protein. It’s a simple, comforting meal that still packs nutrition.

Do they eat pastina in Italy?

Yes — Italians eat pastina both as a plain tiny pasta and as a soup. As pasta, it’s often part of light meals or for children. As soup (pastina in brodo), it’s a classic comfort food, usually in broth, sometimes with butter, cheese, or a gently cooked egg, and always as a cosy, warming dish.

Are you supposed to drain pastina?

If you’re cooking just the tiny pasta, then yes, you would drain it like regular pasta. In soup, however, you cook it directly in the broth so it absorbs all the flavours, creating a warm, comforting bowl.

What does pastina taste like?

The tiny pasta itself is very mild, soft, and comforting — almost like a blank canvas. In soup, it soaks up the broth and other ingredients, turning into a soothing, flavorful dish that warms both your stomach and your heart.

What pairs well with pastina?

As pasta, pastina is great with butter, olive oil, or a sprinkle of cheese. In soup, it pairs perfectly with broths, vegetables, or a drizzle of olive oil, and can be finished with Parmesan or other cheese for extra richness.

Do you put an egg in pastina?

For the pasta itself, eggs aren’t typical unless you’re making fresh pasta. In soup, lightly beaten eggs can be stirred in to make it creamier and even more comforting — a simple way to turn a bowl into a nurturing meal.

Can you add vegetables to pastina?

Absolutely — for pastina soup, you usually start with a basic broth that includes onion, carrot, and celery, but you can add more vegetables like potatoes, peas, or even zucchini. It’s a simple way to make the soup more nourishing and colourful.

How much pastina do you use for soup?

For a classic bowl of pastina soup, a good ratio is about 40 grams (¼ cup) of pastina per 250 ml (1 cup) of broth. This keeps the soup cosy and spoonable — not too thick, not too brothy.

More Italian Recipes

Did you love this cosy Italian recipe I just shared? 

If you did, please give it a heart and share it with a friend or two.

I’d like to remind you of my invitation to join Buona settimana – my Sunday newsletter. It’s like chatting with an Italian friend about food, fashion, beautiful Italian places, and life.

In the meantime, here are more cosy Italian recipes for you to try:

Italian Sausage Pasta Soup
Fluffy Italian Bread – Makes Loaves & Rolls
My Creamy Broccoli Soup Recipe
Italian Chocolate Cookies

Thanks for reading. I really appreciate you being here.

Take care.

A presto,
Alessia