Feeding Bambino: Beloved Pastina In The Easiest Veggie Broth

aka the gateway food to cooking more from scratch and every Italian kids' ultimate comfort food

pastina with vegetable brodo - the top kid comfort food in Italy when feeling ill or the weather outside is chilly

Imagine at the end of a long weekday or busy weekend, you have the few ingredients you need for 5 minutes of effort after which you relax to the savory, cozy, steamy aroma of homemade broth simmering on the stovetop, infusing the room with warmth, while you help your kids with homework, chat about the day, or just do nothing at all. You’re making one of Italy’s most beloved kid (and adult) comfort foods.

It brings peace, knowing you’re making a wholesome meal, saving money, and avoiding store-bought broth - which is essentially just flavored water with gobs of extra salt and preservatives. Honestly, just the idea of homemade stock makes me happy!

Before we begin:

Let me put my arm around you, stare into your eyes, and reassure you that: YOU CANNOT MESS THIS UP. Homemade broth is a gamechanger - a base for many authentic Italian recipes or on its own a PERFECT; LOW-EFFORT kid-friendly (and healthy!) meal. Let’s do this.

*apologies in advance for all the capital letters. I am not yelling. I just feel so passionate about homemade broth, I’m tossing capital letters from the terra cotta tiled rooftops*

How it started

When I was single and living in Manhattan, I dreamed of being one of those people who made homemade vegetable, meat, and chicken broths, using them for soup and risotto, and storing extra in the freezer to be at the ready. As a person who ordered take-out and picked up pre-made food all the time, this was truly aspirational for me. Then *poof!* I met an Italian guy, fell in love, and moved to Italy where making homemade brodo or broth is just what you do - and realized it doesn’t even require a formal recipe.

Note #1: I suspect that somehow the United States has complicated the concept of homemade broths the same way makes all homemade food seem too complicated.

We will throw that ridiculousness out the window and make the easiest homemade goodness for you and your family.

How it’s going

1. I have never bought grocery store broth since moving to Italy over a decade ago!

2. It’s so easy, your kid could make it!

3. Trust me: if even I can do it, you can do it too!

5 reasons to make your own veggie broth

In case you need some more inspo:

1. you’re eating REAL FOOD

2. you can use the flavorful stock as a base for pastina - tasty pasta soup comfort food, a food of Italian childhood and weaning, also the Italian equivalent of chicken noodle soup when sick

3. it’s a delicious base for so many other authentic Italian recipes like tortellini in brodo and risotto

4. brodo is yummy and healthy to slurp on it’s own

5. you can make extra and store it in containers or ice cube trays in your freezer for even easier future meals

6. avoids food processing and packaging, so it’s better for the world we live in

   

   so fresh and easy!

Lastly, a small tribute to brodo from a bible of of Italian Cooking: Cucchiaio d’Argento:

“The way in which plain water is transformed from a tasteless, colorless and odorless' liquid into broth is almost magical. It becomes fine, fragrant and tasty, thanks to the qualities given to it by meat, salt, herbs and spices.”

Simplest vegetable broth / pastina in broth

Brodo vegetale / Pastina in brodo

FOR 4 PEOPLE

The ingredients

• 2 carrots - discard ends, then cut into big chunks

• 2 celery stalks - discard ends, then cut into big chunks

• 1 onion - peeled, discard root end, then cut into 4 quarters

• 2 liters / 4 cups of water

• salt - to taste (start with a Tbl, then taste and slowly add any more if needed)

• pastina - which means “little pasta” like stelline (little stars), anelline (little rings), grattini (little pieces), orzo; this can be egg or durum wheat (no egg) pasta

  

  grattini - a kind of pastina or little pasta

OPTIONAL

• 1 potato - cut into chunks - adds thickness and starch to the broth

• 1 tomato - cut into quarters - adds color, sweetness, and vitamins to the broth

• peppercorns - for heat and spice

The method

1) Add all the ingredients to a large pot, including a couple spoonfuls of salt and turn heat to high and cover.

2) Once the broth is boiling, turn it down to simmer and cover again.

Look at that gorgeous brothy hue! This is after about 1 hour of simmering.

2) Let it simmer for 20-90 minutes depending on how much time you have and how strong you want the broth. Longer minutes for a more intense flavor. This is quite a gentle-flavored broth, so even after 90 minutes, it’s still quite delicate.

3) Strain the broth over a bowl or other pot. Press the veggies in the strainer with the back of a spoon to extract all the flavorful liquid.

pressing all the broth out of the cooked veggies

4) Taste to adjust for salt. If you’re making pastina, make sure the broth is salty like the sea. Add 80-100 grams of pastina per person to the boiling broth.

For example if you want to use all the brodo in this recipe - some will have evaporated or been absorbed by the veggies - so you’ll be left with a bit less than 2 liters of broth. Add around 300-350 grams of pastina which will feed 3-4 people depending on how hungry everyone is.

Top tips:

• Or you can be much less scientific. I eyeball it to this ratio: add about 1/3 amount of pastina compared to the amount of broth for a nice brothy pastina.

• Divide your pastina in bowls and top with lots of grated parmigiano reggiano or grana padano. Don’t forget that these are salty cheeses so taste to regulate the saltiness

• I love topping mine with freshly ground pepper too!

• If it tastes insipid, you’re missing salt or parmigiano.

Notes:

Fridge/freezer: Will keep for about a week in the fridge. Store in glass in the freezer

Buon appetito!

x Lolly

**Do you make homemade broth or buy it? What foods do you eat for a little comfort or when you’re sick? Spill some tea by leaving a comment to share! I’d love to hear from you.**