Italian Penicillin Pastina Soup

Ingredients

• 8 cup chicken stock
• 3.5 carrots (Source specifies 3–4; roughly chopped)
• 3.5 celery stalks (Source specifies 3–4; roughly chopped)
• 1 yellow onion (Medium; roughly chopped)
• 5 garlic cloves (Source specifies 4–6; leave whole or roughly chop)
• 1 tsp ginger paste (Or more, to taste)
• fresh thyme (Amount not specified)
• fresh rosemary (Amount not specified)
• turmeric (For color; amount not specified)
• fresh Parmesan (One block is listed; use the rind optionally in the broth and grate the remainder for the pasta and serving)
• pastina or stelline pasta (Amount not specified; Barilla pastina is shown in the video)
• 4 tbsp butter (Or more, to taste; for the cooked pasta)
• lemon juice (A huge or massive squeeze, or more)
• salt (To taste; used in the broth and with the pasta)
• black pepper (To taste; used with the pasta)
• 2 egg yolks (Source specifies 1–3, depending on how much pasta is made)

Steps

1. 1

   Roughly chop the carrots, celery, and yellow onion. The source also indicates that the Parmesan rind may be cut from the Parmesan block and used in the broth.

2. 2

   Add the chopped vegetables, garlic cloves, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, ginger paste, salt, turmeric, and optional Parmesan rind to a soup pot.

3. 3

   Pour in the 8 cups of chicken stock, covering the vegetables and aromatics.

4. 4

   Simmer the stock mixture until the vegetables are soft.

5. 5

   Remove the fresh herbs and the Parmesan rind, if used.

6. 6

   Strain out the remaining vegetables, reserving the broth. Transfer the vegetables to a blender with a little of the broth and blend until smooth.

7. 7

   Return the blended vegetable mixture to the pot of broth and stir it in until the soup is smooth and golden.

8. 8

   Cook the pastina or stelline pasta according to the source's pasta directions. The package shown indicates approximately 6–7 minutes for al dente pasta.

9. 9

   Drain the cooked pasta, then add butter, salt, black pepper, fresh Parmesan, and the egg yolk or yolks. Stir until the butter melts and the pasta is coated.

10. 10

    Spoon the buttered pasta into bowls and ladle the blended soup over it.

11. 11

    Finish each serving with a large squeeze of lemon juice and more Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Notes

The source does not specify the amount of pastina, fresh herbs, turmeric, or Parmesan, nor does it give an exact simmering time. The transcript says the pasta is cooked separately and the soup is spooned over it. The description allows additional butter, ginger, and lemon juice to taste.

Nutrition per serving

• soup
• main
• Italian
• comfort food
• pastina
• vegetarian-friendly broth optional
• stovetop
• fall