Sorry chicken noodle, there's a new sick day soup-er star bubbling up in popularity and it's called pastina.
Italian-Americans have long dubbed pastina a "cure all" type comfort food dish for winter months during cold and flu season, and thanks to an influx in interest on social media, the simple four-ingredient and easy-to-customize recipe has garnered mass appeal.
When dried pasta giant Ronzoni announced on Jan. 3 it was discontinuing its popular five-point pasta shape, fans took action with online petitions and showed their support for the little shape by sharing pastina recipes on TikTok and Instagram.
Despite the desperate initial search to score the last few boxes, other brands including Barilla and DeCecco make their own boxed versions of the small shape.
The almost-alphabet soup-like recipe can be made with other shapes and some home cooks have even iterated with ingredients like Israeli couscous or orzo.
Chef Danielle Sepsy recreated the now-viral recipe and transformed her version into a riff on the popular cracked black pepper and parmesan pasta -- cacio e pepe pastina.
The New York City-based chef and founder of The Hungry Gnome, a wholesale bakery and catering company, joined "Good Morning America" on Wednesday to share her insights and full recipe for the popular pastina dish.
Ingredients
2 cups Chicken Stock or Broth
1 cup Water
1 cup Pastina
3 Tablespoons Butter
Dash of Salt
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano (or ¾ cup fresh grated Parmegiano Cheese)
Fresh Cracked black pepper (about 1 teaspoon, or to your liking)
A drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Finishing
Directions
Boil the broth and water together in a small/medium pot.
Add the pastina and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook for 4-5 minutes on low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed.
Add the butter and cheese stir until melted.
Add a good amount of fresh cracked black pepper (at least 1 teaspoon).
Ladle into dishes and drizzle good quality extra virgin olive oil on top, another sprinkle of cheese and enjoy!