Italian Penicillin Soup: Chicken Pastina in One Pot

The short answer: Italian penicillin soup is chicken pastina soup. Simmer 1 1/2 pounds of chicken with carrots, celery, onion and garlic in 8 cups of broth until the chicken reaches 165°F, blend the vegetables into the broth, then cook 1 cup of pastina in it and finish with Parmesan and lemon. It serves 6 in about 1 hour.

• Key numbers: 8 cups broth · 1 1/2 lb chicken · 1 cup pastina · 1/2 cup Parmesan · serves 6
• What makes it different: a blended, golden vegetable broth and tiny pasta, not chunky vegetables and noodles
• Next step: get the free recipe book starter pages (we email it to you), or save your version in the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99)

Prep time: 25 minCook time: 38 minTotal time: 1 hr 3 minServings: 6 servings

"Italian penicillin" is a nickname, borrowed from the old joke about chicken soup being Jewish penicillin. It is a comforting bowl, not a remedy, and this page makes no health claims about it. What sets it apart is the method. The vegetables cook whole or in big chunks, then go into the blender with some broth. That turns the soup thick, smooth and golden before the pastina goes in.

Italian penicillin soup ingredients

Serves 6.

Low-sodium broth matters here. The Parmesan rind and grated cheese both add salt, so season at the end.

How to make Italian penicillin soup

1. Soften the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium. Add the onion, carrots, celery and whole garlic cloves. Cook 5 minutes, stirring, until the onion starts to soften. Do not brown them.
2. Simmer with the chicken. Add the broth, the chicken, the Parmesan rind and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered 20 to 25 minutes, until the carrots are very soft and a food thermometer in the thickest piece of chicken reads 165°F.
3. Shred the chicken. Move the chicken to a clean cutting board and shred it with two forks. Remove the bay leaf and the Parmesan rind.
4. Blend the vegetables. Scoop the soft vegetables and about 2 cups of broth into a blender. Remove the center cap, cover the hole with a folded towel, and blend until completely smooth. Start on low; hot liquid expands. Pour the puree back into the pot. An immersion blender also works if you take the chicken out first.
5. Cook the pastina. Bring the soup back to a simmer. Stir in the pastina and cook according to the package time, usually 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often so it does not stick to the bottom.
6. Finish. Turn off the heat. Stir in the shredded chicken, the grated Parmesan and the juice of half the lemon. Taste and add salt, pepper and more lemon. Serve with parsley, extra Parmesan and black pepper.

FDA safe food handling guidance lists 165°F as the safe minimum internal temperature for poultry, measured with a food thermometer. Check the thickest piece rather than judging by color. Use a clean board and fork for the cooked chicken, not the ones that touched it raw.

How it differs from other chicken soups

This page owns the blended, pastina version. Our other chicken soups cover different bowls:

• How to make chicken soup starts with a whole chicken and homemade broth. Use that broth here if you have it.
• Chicken noodle soup is the chunky, clear-broth classic with egg noodles.
• Marry me chicken soup is creamy, with gnocchi and sun-dried tomatoes.
• Italian wedding soup has tiny meatballs, greens and small pasta in a clear broth.

If you want a soup with recognizable pieces of carrot and celery, pick chicken noodle. If you want something smooth enough for a picky eater who avoids visible vegetables, this is the one.

Pasta, chicken and broth swaps

• Pasta shape: stelline, acini di pepe, ditalini, orzo or alphabet pasta. Larger shapes like ditalini take a few minutes longer.
• Gluten-free: use a gluten-free small pasta and cook it separately, since many gluten-free pastas break down when left in broth.
• Rice instead of pasta: stir in 2 cups of cooked rice in place of the pastina at the end.
• Rotisserie chicken: skip the raw chicken. Simmer the vegetables 20 minutes, blend, cook the pastina, then stir in 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken until hot.
• Ginger or turmeric: some versions simmer a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric with the vegetables. Both blend in and add color and warmth.
• Greens: stir in 2 handfuls of baby spinach with the chicken. It wilts in a minute.
• Egg finish: for a richer, stracciatella-style bowl, whisk 2 eggs with the Parmesan, drizzle them into the simmering soup while stirring, and keep it simmering until the egg ribbons are set. Then add the chicken and lemon.

Troubleshooting

The soup turned thick as paste. Pastina keeps drinking broth, even off the heat. Thin it with hot broth 1/2 cup at a time. If you plan leftovers, cook the pastina separately and add it to each bowl.

The pastina stuck to the bottom. Stir every minute while it cooks, and keep the heat at a simmer, not a hard boil.

It tastes flat. Add salt, then lemon. A soup made with low-sodium broth often needs more salt than you expect.

It is too salty. Add more broth or water and a squeeze of lemon. Leave out the extra Parmesan at the table.

The blended broth is grainy. Blend longer, or cook the carrots until they crush easily with a spoon before blending.

What to serve with it

Crusty bread or garlic bread for dipping, a green salad with a lemony dressing, or a simple grilled cheese. A bowl of this soup is filling on its own for lunch, with extra Parmesan on top.

Make-ahead, storage and freezing

The broth base, with the vegetables blended in and the chicken shredded, can be made a day ahead. Cook the pastina just before serving so it does not swell overnight.

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if it is above 90°F outside, as the FDA advises, in shallow containers so the soup cools quickly. The FDA lists 165°F for leftovers, so reheat to that temperature on a food thermometer. Cleveland Clinic notes that leftovers can be kept in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or frozen for 3 to 4 months.

For the freezer, leave out the pastina. Freeze the blended broth and chicken in quart containers with 1 inch of headspace. Thaw in the refrigerator, bring to a simmer, then cook a fresh 1/3 cup of pastina per quart.

A low-cost pot of soup

The core ingredients are pantry and crisper staples: a box of pasta, broth, carrots, celery, an onion and a pound and a half of chicken. Thighs stay more tender in soup than breasts. Save Parmesan rinds in the freezer whenever you finish a wedge so the flavor comes free. One pot feeds 6, or lunches for most of a week. For more inexpensive dinners built around pantry staples, see our cheap meal ideas.

Plan the soup

Put a soup night on the menu early in the week, then use the leftover broth base for a second night with fresh pastina.

• Meal Planner & Grocery List, $3.99. A weekly menu and an aisle-sorted grocery list for broth, pasta and produce.
• Family Recipe Binder, $6.99. Write down your pasta shape, how much lemon your family likes and whether you blend it all or keep it chunky.

Browse more kitchen printables in the printables shop.

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