By Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli 

Serves 4

Pastina is literally “tiny pasta,” the most common shape being a little star, making it very popular with kids. Every Italian-American grandmother makes some version of this for her grandchildren, and ours were no different. Scott’s family served pastina with escarole soup or chicken broth; Angie’s in a tomato broth with carrots and eggs. Both of our mothers made us buttered pastina as kids when we were sick; it’s a very easy, comforting dish that comes from a peasant food tradition and cooks up in minutes.

This is our (no pun intended) souped-up version, loaded with parmesan and a lot of freshly cracked pepper, resulting in a flavor similar to Roman cacio e pepe. It’s rich, comforting, and a little more interesting than your typical buttered pastina. Serve it as a main course with roasted vegetables or chicken on top; as a side dish; or simply on its own, à la risotto.

NOTE: Be mindful here of salting the cooking water – since pastina is so small, you can actually overseason the water. We give specific measurement of salt to water in the procedure that follows for best results.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt

6 ounces (half of a 12-ounce box) pastina

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

⅔ cup finely grated Parmigaino-Reggiano cheese

½ cup mascarpone cheese

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water plus 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil over high heat. Add the pastina and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Reserving ⅓ cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta and return to the pot along with the cooking water.
Add the oil, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, the black pepper, parmesan, mascarpone, and butter. Over medium-high heat, stir vigorously with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until incorporated, 2 to 3 minutes. As the pastina comes to a boil, the starch will release from the pasta, and it should become very thick and creamy, like a risotto.
Serve immediately. This dish is best made and eaten day-of, but if you do have leftovers, reheat them in a pan over low heat with a few tablespoons of water to make the pastina creamy again. 

Photo by Christopher Testani

Lauren is a Louisiana native that moved to Brooklyn last year to work for us! She is a bright light in our jewelry studio - always ready with a joke and a big smile. Here is a little bit about her and the work she does here at Catbird HQ!