Cooking with Mamma C

  • Recipes
  • Cod
  • Cookbook
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cod Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • About
  • Contact
  • Newsletter
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cod Recipes
    • Cookbook
    • About
    • Contact
    • Newsletter
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Main Dishes » Soup

    Chicken Pastina Soup

    Published: Jan 15, 2021 · Modified: Nov 6, 2023 by Mamma C · This post may contain affiliate links.

    • Facebook
    • Email
    • Flipboard
    Jump to Recipe

    Chicken Pastina Soup is ready in less than an hour! This Italian chicken soup with little pasta shapes features shredded chicken breasts and full-bodied flavor from onions, carrots, celery and stock. It's the best comfort food!

    bowl of chicken soup with pastina

    Could you use some comfort food about now? I thought so.

    I give you Chicken Pastina Soup, which is basically Italian chicken noodle soup.

    It's made with pastina, which simply means "tiny pasta." We're talking about teeny, tiny pasta...the kind every Italian baby is fed before even knowing how to say, "More!"

    Mom used to serve it to my kids in Nonna's Chicken Meatball Soup. And since that recipe takes several hours to make, I thought it'd be helpful to share this quicker, yet flavorful chicken soup with pastina.

    Because even us adults crave pastina soup, otherwise known as Italian penicillin. It's so delicious!

    Recipe ingredients

    chicken, pastina, stock and ingredients for soup

    I always make this soup with chicken stock and water, instead of buying broth. The chicken stock provides more full-bodied flavor.

    For the pastina, I like using acini di pepe, which translates to "seeds of pepper" and looks like tiny balls of pasta. You also could use stelline, which means "little stars."

    The boneless, skinless chicken breasts are there to add protein, flavor and substance and will be shredded for this soup.

    How to make shredded chicken

    chicken breasts browning in pan, cooking in liquid, shredded chicken
    1. Heat olive oil in the pot over medium heat until sizzling. Pat the chicken breasts dry and add them to the pot with seasonings. Sear the first side for five minutes.
    2. Use tongs (affiliate link) to flip over the chicken and pour a cup of stock over it. Cover the pot and let the chicken simmer for seven minutes.
    3. Remove the chicken to a bowl, let it cool for a few minutes, and shred it.

    I like this method for shredded chicken because it produces more tasty results than simply boiling the chicken.

    How to make chicken pastina soup

    diced onions, celery, carrots in pot, pouring stock, scoop of vegetables and uncooked pastina

    See the recipe card at the end of this post for full instructions, but here is an overview.

    1. Add chopped onions and diced carrots and celery to the pot after removing the cooked chicken.
    2. Cook the vegetables until soft. Don't rush this part, because you don't want crunchy carrots and celery in your soup.
    3. Add the chicken stock and water to the pot. Cover and heat on high to bring to a boil.
    4. When the liquid is boiling, stir in the pastina to cook.
    5. When the pastina is done, stir in the shredded chicken and grated Parmesan.
    closeup of bowl of chicken soup with pastina

    Recipe tips

    The easiest way to shred chicken is to use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on a low setting. If you don't have a stand mixer, shred the chicken with two forks.

    The cooked pastina will quickly absorb the broth in the pot, so serve the soup immediately. Use a slotted spoon to remove any extra pastina from the pot and place it in a separate container. This also prevents the leftover pastina from getting mushy.

    You shouldn't need to add any salt beyond what was used to season the chicken. The chicken stock should be salty enough, but taste the soup when it's done, after the Parmesan has been added.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can you use boneless chicken thighs instead?

    Sure! They'll probably be thinner than the breasts, so you'd have to cook them for a little less time. Cook them just until no longer pink inside.

    Can you use shredded rotisserie chicken?

    That should be fine. You'd start the recipe by sautéeing the vegetables in oil. You'd add the shredded chicken as called for later. Since rotisserie chicken is already salted, don't add seasoning until you taste the soup when it's done.

    Can you make this soup ahead of time?

    If you want to make the Chicken Pastina Soup earlier in the day to serve later, store the shredded chicken separately from the soup in the refrigerator. Don't cook the pastina until just before you are ready to serve the soup. Heat the soup in the pot until boiling, add the pastina, and after 10 minutes, stir in the shredded chicken and Parmesan.

    I hope you love this Chicken Pastina Soup as much as we do!

    More Italian soup recipes

    • Minestrone with Fire-Roasted Tomatoes
    • Tuscan White Bean Soup with Escarole and Potatoes
    • Italian Beef Soup with Pasta
    • Pasta with Zucchini
    • Pasta e Fagioli

    Be sure to check out my soup archives for other favorites!

    Enjoy!

    tomato sauce, pesto, fettuccine alfredo, manicotti on book cover

    E-Cookbook!

    With my Pasta & Sauces collection, even a beginner can cook like an Italian nonna!

    Learn More
    Buy Now
    bowl of chicken soup with tiny pasta

    Chicken Pastina Soup

    Chicken Pastina Soup is ready in less than an hour and is the best Italian comfort food! Feel free to halve the recipe, if you need a smaller batch.
    4.57 from 79 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Go to Collections
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 353kcal
    Author: Mamma C

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 pounds chicken breasts (boneless & skinless)
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper (divided use)
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • ½ medium yellow onion (or white, red)
    • 3 medium celery stalks
    • 2 large carrots
    • 6 cups chicken stock (1 ½ quarts)
    • 3 cups water
    • ½ pound pastina (Acini di pepe or stelline. See notes.)
    • ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for serving)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a soup pot and place it over medium heat. Use a long spoon to push the oil around the bottom of the pan so it completely covers the bottom. Heat the oil until it's sizzling.
    • When the oil is sizzling, pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and add them to the pot with tongs. In a tiny bowl, stir together ¼ teaspoon of garlic, ⅛ teaspoon of black pepper, and ⅛ teaspoon of salt. Season the chicken with this mixture. Let the chicken sear for five minutes on the first side, until it's golden brown.
    • Wear oven mitts while using tongs to flip the chicken over (the oil may splash). If the chicken is sticking to the pan, use the tongs to push under the chicken to separate it from the pan. When the chicken is flipped over, pour one cup of the chicken stock over it and cover the pot. Let the chicken simmer gently over medium heat for seven minutes.
    • While the chicken is simmering, prepare the vegetables. Peel half an onion and chop it. Rinse the celery, scraping off any dirt, and trim off the ends. Cut the celery into small pieces (dice). (Cut a stalk in half the short way, then slice each of those pieces in half the long way. Then cut into small pieces.) Rinse the carrots and peel them. Trim off the ends. Cut the carrots into small pieces like the celery.
    • When the chicken has simmered for seven minutes, use tongs to remove the chicken to a large bowl to sit for a couple minutes to cool. (If you have a stand mixer, place the chicken in the bowl of the stand mixer.) You will be shredding the chicken after you get the vegetables going in the pan (see the next step).
    • While the chicken is cooling off a bit, add the onions, carrots and celery to the pot over medium-high heat and give them a stir. Sauté the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until the carrots and celery are soft. It could take 15 minutes. (You want to make sure you don't have crunchy vegetables in your soup.) If the liquid evaporates during this time, you can add a little stock to the pan, so the veggies don't burn.
    • While the vegetables are cooking, shred the chicken. The easiest way is to use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to shred the chicken on a low setting. If you don't have a stand mixer, use two forks to shred the chicken. The chicken should be cooked through, but if it seems slightly undercooked, it will finish cooking later in the soup.
    • When the vegetables are tender, add the rest of the chicken stock and 3 cups of water to the pot. Stir in ⅛ teaspoon of black pepper. Cover the pot, increase the heat to high, and let the soup come to a boil.
    • When it is boiling, add the pastina to the pot. Lower the heat slightly, give the pasta a stir, and boil it for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Do not drain it. (Acini de pepe needs the 10 minutes, but stelline may cook faster.)
    • After 10 minutes, stir in the shredded chicken and ⅓ cup grated Parmesan. Lower the heat and let the pot simmer for a couple minutes until the chicken is heated through. Taste to see if any additional salt is needed. (It will depend on how much salt was in your chicken stock.)
    • Serve immediately by ladling some soup with pastina into each bowl. Sprinkle Parmesan (or Romano) on each serving. Any pastina left in the pot will absorb the broth quickly, so use a slotted spoon to remove the pastina to a separate container so it can be refrigerated later.
    • Store leftover pastina separately from the broth. Refrigerate each for up to four days. To reheat, add some of the broth to the pastina in a bowl and heat, covered loosely with wax paper, in the microwave. If you run out of soup broth for leftovers, you can add some chicken stock to the pastina or serve it with butter and cheese.
    • The leftovers also freeze well. Freeze the pastina and broth separately.

    Video

    Notes

    • Pastina is tiny pasta. It cooks up into a large amount, so you should not need more than ½ a pound here, even if you're used to cooking 1 pound of pasta. You can even use just ¼ pound of pastina, if you want the soup to have a higher ratio of broth to pasta.
    • Once cooked, the pastina will quickly absorb the liquid in your pot. Serve the soup immediately, then use a slotted spoon to place any leftover pastina in a separate container from the broth.
    • If you want to make the soup earlier in the day to serve later, store the shredded chicken separately from the soup in the refrigerator, and don't cook the pastina until just before you are ready to serve the soup. Heat the soup in the pot until boiling, add the pastina, and cook it for 10 minutes. Then, stir in the chicken and Parmesan. 
    • This recipe makes 8 standard servings, or 6 generous servings. 
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 506mg | Potassium: 673mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2624IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Mention @cookingwithmammac or tag #CookingWithMammaC!

    (Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C)

    Don't miss my Pasta & Sauces E-Cookbook! Please SUBSCRIBE and follow me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM!

    More Soup Recipes and Stews

    • overhead bowl of broccoli cheddar soup topped with cheddar cheese
      Broccoli-Cheddar Soup with Parmesan
    • bowl of white lasagna soup topped with ricotta
      White Lasagna Soup
    • pot of shrimp stew with zucchini and garnished with a parsley leaf
      Shrimp Stew Recipe
    • bowl of chicken meatball soup with a spoonful of soup
      Nonna's Chicken Meatball Soup
    • Facebook
    • Email
    • Flipboard

    Comments

    1. Tara Bean says

      November 05, 2024 at 2:26 pm

      Fantastic recipe...will make again!

      Reply
      • Mamma C says

        November 06, 2024 at 9:07 am

        Hi Tara - I'm so glad to hear that!

        Reply
    2. Colleen says

      May 10, 2024 at 9:45 pm

      Oh goodness thanks so very much for sharing this recipe that I have been looking for for forever! I can’t wait to make it 🥰

      Reply
      • Mamma C says

        May 11, 2024 at 1:42 pm

        Hi Colleen - I hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    3. Lisa says

      January 17, 2024 at 7:39 am

      5 stars
      I made this last night and it is by far my new favorite chicken soup. Great for our cold winter evening. The parmesan cheese was a nice addition that I had never thought of. Will make this again for sure! This is going in my soup rotation for sure. Glad I stumbled on it.

      Reply
      • Mamma C says

        January 17, 2024 at 8:30 am

        Hi Lisa - I love hearing that! I make this often, and it always hits the spot.

        Reply
      • Michelle says

        February 06, 2025 at 12:36 pm

        I can’t wait to make this, but can I add escarole to this and if so when should it be added?

        Reply
        • Mamma C says

          February 07, 2025 at 9:21 am

          Hi Michelle - You could add the escarole after the pot comes to a boil in step 8. Add the escarole and let it boil for five minutes, then add the pastina as in step 9. See my Escarole and Bean Soup recipe for information on how to clean and prep the escarole.

          Reply
    4. Johnesia Sims says

      January 06, 2024 at 11:21 am

      Can I make a slow cooker version of this soup?

      Reply
      • Mamma C says

        January 07, 2024 at 4:05 pm

        Hi Johnesia - I haven't tested a slow cooker version of this. I suspect using a whole chicken might be better in the Crock Pot.

        Reply
    « Older Comments
    4.57 from 79 votes (70 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    woman with blonde hair smiling. "10 years" text in lower right.

    Hi, I'm Andrea, also known as Mamma C. I've been sharing family-tested recipes from my Italian-American kitchen for a decade! I hope you'll visit often!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • slice of cheesecake on plate
      Fluffy Crustless Cheesecake (NY Style)

    • OVEN-FRIED COD RECIPE (CRISPY & DELICIOUS!)
      Oven-Fried Cod Recipe (Crispy & Delicious!)

    • portion of zucchini casserole on plate
      Italian Zucchini Bake

    • plate of sausage, peppers and onions
      Baked Sausage, Peppers and Onions

    Cookie Recipes

    • plate of amaretti cookies topped with almonds
      Amaretti Cookies (Soft & Chewy)

    • platter of almond biscotti sprinkled with powdered sugar
      Almond Biscotti Recipe

    • chocolate pizzelle held up over a platter of more pizzelles
      Chocolate Pizzelle Recipe

    • plate of italian lemon pizzelle cookies with powdered sugar
      Lemon Pizzelle Recipe

    • plate of Italian cookies with sprinkles
      Italian Cookies (Vanilla or Anisette)

    • plate of pignoli cookies dusted with powdered sugar
      Italian Pignoli Cookies (Pine Nut Cookies)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    RECIPES

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    About

    • About Me
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • ACCESSIBILITY
    • Cookbook
    • Web Stories
     

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2014-2025 Cooking with Mamma C®

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.