Ingredients (~4 servings)
- 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or water)
- 1 cup dry pastina (~6 oz)
- 2 Tbsp butter, salted or unsalted
- 1/2 cup warm milk, more or less to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, optional
Cook the Pastina Until Creamy
Add the broth to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add the pastina and stir – it’ll look like way too much liquid at first but the pasta absorbs most of it.
Cook for ~4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You’re looking for the pastina to be tender and most of the liquid to be absorbed, but it should still look creamy, not dry.
Warm the Milk and Finish the Dish
While the pastina finishes cooking, add the milk to a small microwave-safe bowl and heat for ~20-30 seconds until warmed – you don’t want it cold when it hits the hot pasta.
Once the pastina has absorbed most of the broth, pull the pan off the heat and stir in the butter and warmed milk.
The butter should melt immediately and create a creamy, risotto-like consistency. If it looks too thick, add a bit more warm milk; if it’s too loose, let it sit for a minute to thicken up.
Season with black pepper and grated cheese if using. The cheese adds a nice salty bite that really makes this sing.
Classic Italian Pastina
Ingredients
Ingredients (~4 servings)
- 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or water
- 1 cup dry pastina ~6 oz
- 2 Tbsp butter salted or unsalted
- 1/2 cup warm milk more or less to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano optional
Instructions
- Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add pastina and stir occasionally for 4-5 minutes until tender and most liquid is absorbed.
- While pastina cooks, warm milk in a microwave-safe bowl for 20-30 seconds.
- Remove pan from heat and stir in butter and warmed milk until creamy.
- Add more milk if too thick or let sit briefly if too loose.
- Season with black pepper and Parmesan or Pecorino Romano if desired.
