Golden Italian Penicillin Soup

It’s soup season and I want all the soups, especially this cozy comforting Italian penicillin soup. Blended vegetables, savory broth and tiny pastina is the fall soup you’ll want to make year round. This is my ginger and turmeric based super colorful super cozy version that I’ve been making on repeat.

I love making soup when the weather starts to get chilly. My idea of a perfect fall day is when the sun starts setting after a crispy day full of sunshine. Soup is current hyperfixation and currently that soup is Italian penicillin soup.

What is Italian penicillin soup?

Italian penicillin soup is a modern take on pastina in brodo, a common Italian home-cooked comfort food. Classic pastina is pretty simple: tiny pasta shapes cooked in broth and sometimes served with butter and parmesan.

Italian penicillin soup has emerged as a different sort of soup: aromatic vegetables simmered, blended, and mixed into broth with tiny pasta topped with butter, parmesan, and sometimes lemon.

Also, I think it’s really charming to get a scoop of pastina. It’s like a little pasta island with a sea of soup surrounding it. You get to use a spoon to distribute and swirl instead of a bowl of soup with the pastina already floating about.

Why is it called Italian penicillin soup?

It’s called Italian penicillin soup because it’s one of those soups that makes everything feel better because it’s comfort food in the best kind of way. It’s a play on words because Jewish penicillin is chicken soup, and this is like the Italian version of that, plus pastina has been Italian sick soup forever.

Italian penicillin soup vs pastina

Pastina soup and Italian penicillin soup are very similar, the differences lie in execution. Pastina tends to be simpler with small pasta shapes cooked in broth topped with butter and parmesan, whereas this particular Italian penicillin soup has a thicker base of blended vegetables.

What kind of pasta is in Italian penicillin soup?

The pasta in penicillin soup is pastina, the tiniest of the pasta shapes. Just like regular pasta, it comes in a variety of shapes like stelline (mini stars), farfalline (mini bowties), ditalini rigati (mini tubes), and so many more.

Italian penicillin soup ingredients

• aromatics – all good soups start with aromatics and in this case, we’re going to use the classic onion, carrot, celery combo. Don’t worry about chopping the vegetables too perfectly, after they simmer and become tender, they’ll be blended into a creamy puree.
• flavor boosters – this soup is comforting and curing, so a bunch of eat-them-when-you’re-sick foods go right in: garlic, zingy ginger, warm orange-y turmeric.
• chicken stock – if you make your own homemade chicken bone broth, this is the perfect soup to highlight it. Otherwise, store-bought is great too. Look for a low-sodium chicken bone broth or chicken broth. If you can, chicken bone broth is the way to go. Typically, chicken bone broth is simmered much longer than broth and it has more protein which makes it ideal for a make you feel better soup.
• parmesan – parm is used two ways in this soup, both in the broth, and to finish the pastina. Oh, and I guess a third way too, as a garnish. One of the secrets to this soup is how cheesy and rich the broth tastes and that’s all thanks to parmesan rinds. Mike and I keep our extra rinds in the freezer, for the express purpose of putting them into stocks and sauces. Don’t throw out your rinds, save them for soup!
• pastina – the star of this show is the pastina.

Where to buy pastina pasta

You can find pastina in the pasta aisle, but if your grocery store doesn’t carry it, it’s available online. Most stores will carry at least the stars, typically, they keep them on the top shelves, so if you don’t see any, look up. Sometimes they’re on the bottom shelves too. Basically, pastina does not get middle shelf placement, so do a bit of searching because it’s probably there. Or, if your local grocery store doesn’t have any, go to an Italian grocery store, they will carry multiple varieties of pastina for sure.

How to make Italian penicillin soup

1. Saute. Heat up a generous amount of olive oil in your favorite soup making pot over medium heat. When hot and shimmery, add roughly chopped onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and ginger. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to smell amazing. Saute until they start to soften and are just on the verge of browning (6-8 min).
2. Simmer. To the pot, add your chicken stock, parmesan rind, and ground turmeric. If you happen to have fresh turmeric on hand, you can substitute 1 tbsp of freshly grated turmeric. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then turn the heat down until the soup bubbles away gently. Cook until the vegetables are completely soft, tender, and almost falling apart.
3. Blend. Turn the heat off and use a slotted spoon to carefully find the parmesan rind. You can either discard it or save it, up to you. Transfer the vegetables into a blender along with 1/2 cup of broth, and blend until completely smooth. Be careful when blending hot liquids: no more than half full, vent the lid, and cover with a towel. Or use an immersion blender if you own one.
4. Warm. Stir the blended vegetables back into the broth and keep warm on low heat.
5. Boil. Bring a medium pot of salted water up to a boil. When boiling, add in 1 cup of pastina. Stir, so the pastina doesn’t stick, and lower the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, according to package directions. When done cooking, save 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water and drain the pastina in a fine mesh strainer, not a colander.
6. Mix. Off the heat, add 2 tbsp of butter to the pot with the pastina, along with 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese. Stir, until the butter and cheese melt into a rich, glossy sauce. If needed, loosen with the reserved pasta water, a bit at a time. The pastina should be loose, but still hold its shape, just like how risotto looks. Taste and season.
7. Serve. Add a scoop of the pastina to a bowl and ladle on the warm broth. Finish with parmesan, a lemon wedge to squeeze in, and freshly grated black pepper. Enjoy!

The secret to really good Italian penicillin soup

• tender vegetables – make sure you simmer the vegetables until they’re super tender and almost falling apart. You want them to blend into a smooth, silky puree that mixes back into the chicken broth completely, so it thickens it and evenly distributes the flavors.
• ginger and turmeric – ginger and turmeric aren’t what you’d typically find in Italian soups, but don’t skip out on these. Ginger and turmeric is what I love when I’m sick because they are so warm and cozy. Warning though: turmeric stains everything plastic/wooden/porous, so be extra careful with your favorite wooden spoons, cutting boards, plastic blenders, and even countertops.
• parmesan rinds – parmesan rinds in broth will change your life. Simmering parmesan rinds gives broth a deep savory umami as well as thickens the soup as it slowly melts a little while you simmer. Pre-soup parmesan rinds are hard and kind of inedible. Post-soup, the rinds turn into a soft, squishy cheese pillow.
• proper pastina – There are two schools of thought when it comes to cooking pastina: cooked in the broth or cooked separately. Personally, for this recipe, cooked separately is the way to go. Cooking the pastina on its own means it won’t accidentally soak up all the broth or get soggy. It’s much easier to save leftovers.

Do you have to blend the vegetables?

Yes, in this case, blending the vegetables is crucial as it gives the soup its thickness and body. If you want to make a more classic pastina, no vegetables are needed so there’s no blending.

Italian penicillin soup variations

• chicken – adding shredded chicken into your penicillin soup will make it the best chicken noodle soup you’ve ever made. You’ll need about 3 cups of shredded, cooked chicken for this recipe.
• stracciatella – right before serving, whisk 2-3 eggs together with 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan. Bring the broth to a gentle simmer and slowly drizzle in the egg-cheese mix. Let the broth simmer until the eggs softly set, then serve as per the recipe below.

Pastina soup FAQ

What pasta can I use if I can’t find pastina?

If you can’t find the classic star stelline pastina, you can use the smallest pasta shape you can find. Some alternatives are: acini di pepe, fregola, ditalini, orzo, or even alphabets. The soup won’t have quite the same texture, but it will still taste amazing. Be sure to cook whatever pasta according to the package directions.

Can I use orzo instead of pastina?

It’s a bit bigger than the smaller pastina varieties, but it works well in this soup. Cook the orzo according to the package directions.

Can I add chicken?

If you want to add chicken, stir in 3 cups shredded cooked chicken after the vegetables have been blended and added back to the soup.

Why does my pastina soak up all the broth?

Pastina continues to soak up broth/soup as it sits if it’s cooked or kept in the soup. To keep pastina from soaking up all the broth, cook and keep the pastina separate from the broth. Only combine the two when serving.

Can I make Italian penicillin soup ahead of time?

You can make Italian penicillin soup ahead of time, make sure you store the soup and the pastina separately. For best results, don’t make the pasta until the day you want to eat it.

Can you freeze Italian penicillin soup?

You can freeze the blended chicken vegetable soup, but freezing pastina will make it mushy. If you want to freeze Italian penicillin soup, make the soup and freeze it and on the day you want to eat, cook the pastina.

What to serve with pastina soup

Italian penicillin soup is a perfect dish on its own, but to round out the meal, serve it up with:

Happy souping!
xoxo steph

Italian Penicillin Soup

Blended vegetables, savory broth and tiny pastina is the fall soup you’ll want to make year round.

Serves 4

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion roughly chopped
• 3 carrots roughly chopped
• 3 stalks celery roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic peeled
• 1 inch ginger peeled, and roughly chopped
• 8 cups chicken stock low-sodium preferred
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2-3 parmesan rind optional
• 1 cup dried pastina
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
• 4 fresh lemon wedges, to serve

• Add the olive oil to a large dutch oven or heavy bottom pot and turn the heat to medium. When the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and ginger. Season generously with salt and pepper.

• Cook, stirring, until the vegetables start to brown and soften, about 8-10 minutes.

• Add the chicken stock and turmeric to the pot, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer. Add the parmesan rind in, if using. Reduce the heat to a gentle bubble and cook until the vegetables are soft and fork tender, 20-25 minutes.

• Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to a blended.( Discard the parmesan rind). Carefully add 1/2 cup of the hot stock and blend the vegetables and broth until smooth.

• Return the blended vegetables back to the pot and keep warm on the lowest heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

• Meanwhile, cook the pastina: bring a medium pot of salted water up to a boil over high heat. Stir in the pastina, lower the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, for the amount of time called on the package directions. The pasta should be plump and soft. Scoop out 2 tbsp of starchy pasta water and drain well.

• Stir the butter into the pastina, along with 1/4 cup of the parmesan, until the butter melts and coats each pastina with a rich, glossy coat. If needed, loosen with the reserved pasta water.

• To serve, divide the pastina evenly into 4 bowls. Top the pastina with the blended chicken vegetable broth, a generous amount of grated parmesan, and a lemon wedge for squeezing. Finish with fresh ground black pepper and enjoy.

Nutrition Facts

Italian Penicillin Soup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 379
Calories from Fat 154

% Daily Value*

Fat 17.1g26%

Saturated Fat 6.8g43%

Cholesterol 74mg25%

Sodium 369mg16%

Potassium 278mg8%

Carbohydrates 41.8g14%

Fiber 3.8g16%

Sugar 4.6g5%

Protein 15.2g30%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.