Pastina With Chicken Broth
Nov 18, 2025
Jump to RecipeThis post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Pastina with chicken broth is the coziest, most soothing bowl of comfort and is the Italian version of chicken soup. Unlike my classic pastina, which cooks down into a creamy, almost risotto style dish, this one is lighter, brothier and feels like a warm hug in a bowl. Tiny pasta stars simmer in a rich homemade chicken broth until tender and silky, making this the perfect quick meal for sick days, cold nights or whenever you need something simple and nourishing.
Why you’ll love this Pastina in Chicken Broth!
Whenever I am curled up on the couch with a big bowl of pastina in chicken broth (brodo), my heart and soul are warmed. Every spoonful instantly transports me back to my childhood home. My mum would always make pastina when we were sick because, in our family, it was believed to cure almost any ailment. Just like my one pot creamy orzo, roasted pumpkin pasta and tomato and butter pasta, this version of pastina is incredibly cozy and comforting.
Pastina is the Italian word for little pasta and brodo simply means broth. Every Italian family has their own way of making it. From the classic creamy pastina that’s thick and creamy, to this brothy, soothing soup style. This meal is a true labour of love as I make the broth from scratch, and let me promise you, homemade chicken broth will always taste better.
Ingredients For Pastina with Chicken Broth
You only need a handful of humble ingredients to create the most nourishing bowl of comfort. I’ll walk you through how to make a rich, flavourful chicken broth from scratch but you can also use a good quality store-bought broth if you’re short on time. Once you have your warm broth and tiny pasta stars, the rest of the ingredients are pantry staples!
- Pastina – Tiny Italian “little pasta” shapes that cook in just a few minutes. They soften into the broth and become silky, soothing and almost creamy. You can use stars, alphabet shapes or any small pastina you love.
- Chicken broth (brodo) – Homemade broth gives this dish its deep, rich flavour, but a good quality store-bought broth will still make a delicious bowl. You could also use a vegetable broth to make this dish vegetarian!
- Chicken pieces – A whole chicken or a mix of wings, thighs and drumsticks will make the most flavourful broth.
- Aromatics – Onion, carrots, celery, garlic and parsley help build a classic Italian-style broth that feels warm and nourishing.
How To Make Pastina in Chicken Broth
This recipe is as simple as making a flavourful chicken broth, then cooking the tiny pastina directly in it until tender and silky. It’s an easy, comforting process that comes together quickly and tastes like a warm hug in a bowl.
Step 1: Place all ingredients into a very large pot and leave uncovered. Bring to the boil and then turn the heat to low so the stock is at a gentle simmer. Simmer for 1 hour.
Step 2: Remove the chicken and pick off the meat with a fork. Allow the meat to slightly cool and store in an airtight container. Return the chicken carcass to the stock and cover. Cook on a low heat at a very gentle simmer for a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 6 hours.
Step 3: Allow the stock to slightly cool then pass through a mesh strainer or until your broth is clear. You may have to do this step twice! You should be left with 3 – 4 litres of stock.
Step 4: In a medium sized pot on a high heat, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the pastina and butter to the chicken stock and immediately turn the heat down to low – medium. Take the pastina off the heat, season to taste with salt and stir through the cheese.
Tips For The bEst Chicken Brodo
- Use a whole chicken – Remove the meat after one hour for the soup, then return the carcass to the pot for a richer, more nourishing broth.
- Keep the onion skins on – They give the broth its beautiful deep colour.
- Add leftover veggies – Use any vegetables, herbs or freezer scraps to build flavour and reduce waste.
- Include extra chicken bones – Leftover bones or wings add depth and collagen.
- Optional dried mushrooms – A few dried shiitake mushrooms create an even deeper flavour, but stick to five or fewer so they don’t overpower the broth.
FAQ’s
Yes! Homemade brodo gives the deepest flavour, but a good quality store-bought chicken broth works beautifully if you’re short on time.
Any tiny pasta shape works — stars, alphabet, or even orzo / risoni. They all soften into the broth and create that silky, cozy texture pastina is known for.
Absolutely. If you’re making your broth from scratch, shred the cooked chicken and stir it through the pastina at the end for extra protein and heartiness.
Pastina soaks up liquid as it sits. If you prefer a soupier bowl, simply add extra broth when serving.
You can — it will taste lighter, but still comforting and delicious.
How To Serve
- Serve it piping hot with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
- Add freshly grated parmesan for extra richness and comfort.
- Stir through some of the shredded chicken from the broth or for a heartier bowl.
- Finish with cracked black pepper, fresh parsley or a squeeze of lemon for brightness.
- Pair it with crusty bread or homemade focaccia to soak up all the delicious broth.
How To Store
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- The pastina will continue to absorb the broth as it sits, so add a splash of extra broth or water when reheating to loosen it.
- Reheat gently on the stove over low heat until warmed through — avoid boiling so the pasta doesn’t go mushy.
- This soup does not freeze well, as pastina becomes very soft after thawing. If you want to freeze it, freeze the broth only and cook fresh pastina when serving.
If you make this Pastina in Chicken Broth, please tag me on Instagram, Tik Tok or Pinterest so I can see your wonderful creations!
If you have any questions or would like to leave a review, please do so here! I always love answering your food and recipe related questions and hearing your feedback on my recipes
Pastina in Chicken Broth
Ingredients
Chicken Broth (brodo)
- 3.3 lbs whole chicken
- 3 carrots, roughly chopped
- 3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 2 brown onions, quartered and with skin on
- 1/2 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 head garlic, halved
- parsley stalks
- fennel fronds
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 gallons water
- 5 dried shitake mushrooms, optional
Pastina
- 4 cups chicken stock, or 4 cups
- 1/2 cup pastina
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup pecorino romano , grated + extra to serve
- pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- pinch of flakey sea salt
Instructions
Chicken Broth (brodo)
- Stock: Place all ingredients into a very large pot and leave uncovered. Bring to the boil and then turn the heat to low so the stock is at a gentle simmer. Simmer for 1 hour.
- Chicken meat: Remove the chicken and pick off the meat with a fork. Allow the meat to slightly cool and store in an airtight container. Return the chicken carcass to the stock and cover. Cook on a low heat at a very gentle simmer for a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 6 hours.
- Strain: Allow the stock to slightly cool then pass through a mesh strainer or until your broth is clear. You may have to do this step twice! You should be left with 3 – 4 litres of stock.
Pastina
- Cook pastina: In a medium sized pot on a high heat, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the pastina and butter to the chicken stock and immediately turn the heat down to low – medium. Continuously stir the pastina until it’s plump and cooked through. Roughly 5 – 7 minutes.
- Season & serve: Take the pastina off the heat, season to taste with salt and stir through the cheese. Finish off with a sprinkling of extra cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
I notice you put the chicken meat in an airtight container. Do you do anything with it afterward?
You can use as you would roasted chicken meat. It’s really yummy in Italian dumpling fillings or to be added into soups and pie fillings.
This is the chicken stock recipe that I have been searching for! I think I have never been able to get the aromatics proportions right. And my mom only used garlic in beef stocks, so I had never tried it with chicken. Then the peppercorns and bay leaves really takes it from bland to GRAND 🙂 I did think it was a bit salty, so next time I will start with 1/2 tbsp salt and add more as needed at the end.
This is my go-to chicken stock recipe for life! I even already printed a hard copy in case your site is ever offline 🙂
Thank you for this beautiful feedback!
Hi Daen!
Any suggestions on what to do with the stock veggies after boiling them? Do you eat them or throw them away?
Thanks 🙂
You can blend them up and use in fillings for veggies balls or dumplings or as a pasta sauce (just keep in mind, they wont be as tasty and will need some extra seasoning).
I’m making this today for my sick kid! The brodo is still simmering away, and it smells amazing!
I just wanted to check on the recipe a little though. You talk about onions in the post and they are shown in the picture, but they aren’t included in the actual recipe.
I also wanted to double check the amount of water. Is 8 liters correct? It feel likes a lot.
Thanks!
Hello! I did leave the onions out of the recipe by accident but they are to go into the stock. I recommend 8 litres of water so you can make a large batch but you just need to ensure all ingredients are fully submerged in water. I hope your soup turned out delicious!