TikTok Pastina Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is so special about pastina? ›

Pastina is an ingredient commonly found in Italian cookbooks and pantries; it's a favorite pasta to serve children, especially when they are sick, so many Italians have fond childhood memories of it. The small size makes pastina a great base for soups, salads, and dishes that may otherwise use rice.

Acini di pepe then translates into 'seeds of a pepper'. They were and are known as a symbol of fertility, which is why they are used in Italian wedding soup. They are also sometimes referred to as pastina (Italian for 'tiny dough'); however, some pasta makers distinguish pastina as smaller than acini di pepe.

Since the term "pastina" encompasses all small shapes of pasta, it comes in many shapes and goes by many names. You may see round pastina called "acini di pepe" (pepper seeds in Italian), or star-shaped pastina called "stelline" (meaning little stars in Italian).

The main difference between orzo and pastina is their shape and size. Orzo is rice-shaped and larger, while pastina is star-shaped and very small. Additionally, orzo is commonly used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, while pastina is often used in Italian cuisine.

Pastina is here to stay!

Thank you Barilla for keeping it going since Ronzoni decided to discontinue pastina! How could that be!!!! Yes, I recommend this product.

Although slightly larger than the original pastina shape, acini di pepe still works well as a substitute.

Pastina ( lit. 'little pasta') is a variety of pasta consisting of tiny pieces, typically of a round (irregular) shape with a diameter of about 1.6 millimetres (1/16").

Acini Di Pepe Pasta Substitutes

If you don't have any acini di pepe on-hand, consider other tiny pasta shapes (pastina) as a substitute. For broth-based soup and pasta salad recipes, try orzo as a substitute. While the pasta shapes differ, both types of pasta are small and able to cook up quickly.

Acini di pepe – an extremely small, round pasta shape – translates to peppercorn, or seeds of pepper. It comes from the Latin word acinus, meaning grape stones.

Pastina is a symbol of comfort food in Italy, especially served when someone is unwell. It's used to make cozy simple dishes such as being cooked in a light broth called “brodo” in Italian, along with being added to soups, baby food and salads.

What is the shelf life of pastina? ›

Generally, dry pasta has a shelf life of two years, but you can typically push it to three.

Although the acronym stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast—some pastina with butter fits in also. The brat diet is ideal for smaller children or those experiencing nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. This very simple pastina with butter is also just very cozy on a winter snowy day as well.

Pastina is cooked directly in a sauce, becoming highly risotto-esque. However, despite the shared traits, there are fundamental differences that set the two apart, with qualities and drawbacks to each that chefs should keep in mind.

If you have not yet tried Pastina, you are missing out on the ultimate Italian 🇮🇹 comfort food. Pastina is also known as “Italian Penicillin” because of its healing properties.

Clocking in at well under 2mm wide and weighing a tiny 0.0057g per piece, tempestine is the smallest pasta shape in the world.

Warmth: Consuming warm foods like pastina can soothe the throat and warm the body, providing a comforting sensation that can help you relax and feel better.

The nickname "Italian penicillin" stems from the belief that pastina can help one feel better when sick, much like how penicillin is seen as a cure-all antibiotic. The warm broth is soothing and can help with hydration, while the pasta provides a gentle and easily digestible source of energy.

Pastina is used in many different ways in Italian cuisine, including as an ingredient of soup, desserts, infant food and also, alone, as a distinct and unique pasta dish.