Gluten Free Pastina

A gluten free take on the popular pastina, aka Italian Penicilin. This gluten free pastina is a comforting and easy to make dish with just a few simple ingredients. Keep it thick or add more broth to make a soup!

I’ve been making some variation of this gluten free pastina literally all winter long, so I figured it was time to finally share the recipe. It’s my go to dish when I’m not feeling well since it’s so comforting, requires minimal ingredients and is ready to eat in about 30 minutes!

Pastina is Italian for “little pasta” and often prepared a bit more like risotto- cooked in broth to create a creamy and more soup like consistency than traditional pasta. It’s often referred to as “Italian penicilin” because it’s served when you’re feeling under the weather and has lot of nutrients to get you well soon! If you love this recipe, try my white bean tuscan soup next!

Tips before we get started!

• You can use veggie broth, chicken bone or chicken bone broth here. I love using bone broth to increase the protein content, but to keep it vegetarian you can absolutely use regular vegetable broth! Just be mindful of the sodium level on your broth and adjust the added salt as needed.
• If you can’t find gluten free stelline, any really small pasta shape like a gluten free orzo will work well. Those are the two smallest GF pasta shapes I’ve been able to find!

How to make gluten free pastina

Heat a large pot over medium heat and melt the butter.

Once melted, add in the onion and saute for just 3 or so minutes, then add in the celery and carrot. Saute for 5 more minutes to soften.

Add in the garlic and saute for 1 more minute, then pour in the broth, salt and pepper. I used 3 cups to keep this a thicker more risotto like texture, but if you want it more soupy, use 4 or more. You can always add more later! Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Use an immersion blender or transfer to a regular blender and blend until completely smooth. Transfer back to your pot and add in the pasta. Simmer over medium/low heat until the pasta is cooked, stirring regularly, about 10 minutes.

Add in the parmesan and stir to melt. Taste and adjust flavors as desired or add in more broth to thin it out. Enjoy and try my gluten free risotto next!

Variations

In this version of gluten free pastina, we’re using onion, carrot and celery that will get blended to create part of the broth. I love doing this not only for the added flavor, but also for the added nutrition. It kind of adds similar flavors of chicken noodle soup!

However, if you want a more simple version, you can simply saute some garlic with butter, then add in the broth, pastina, salt and pepper and simmer until cooked. Stir in the parmesan and enjoy! Some people also love adding in an egg yolk to make it creamier and more nutrient dense, but this is totally optional.

Serving suggestions

One of the reasons I love cooking this pastina with bone broth is because it’s such a cozy and comforting dish when you’re not feeling well that I often just eat it as is. However, if you want to add in some veggies, chopped spinach, peas or broccoli is delicious. Or just serve with a side caesar salad or massaged kale salad.

For added protein, some sliced up air fryer chicken thighs are delicious, or my air fryer chicken cutlets. If you want to go the fish route, my lemon pepper salmon pairs really nicely with this dish!

More recipes you’ll love!

• Gluten Free Mac & Cheese
• Pesto Orzo
• Marry Me Chickpeas
• Gluten Free Ramen

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