This simple recipe for pastina with egg and cheese, otherwise known as comfort food, will make everything feel a little better! Especially when eaten out of a Peter Rabbit bowl.
Why I love this recipe
I love the general category of comfort food.
As in poached eggs on buttered toast. Cream of Wheat. Scrambled eggs with little dollops of ricotta cheese.
Sometimes a warm bowl of comfort food is the only thing that will do when you are feeling blue, or tired, or overwhelmed by the busy-ness of it all.
Or maybe you just want to be 5 years old again, for a few minutes. Anyway, I have my little repertoire of meals that fall into this category, and I was delighted to remember this one in this book I just finished reading.
The book is called I Loved, I Lost, I Ate Spaghetti by Guilia Melucci. For all of you who read Eat Pray Love it is basically the same type of book, only this time the eat and the love parts are combined.
And scattered throughout this book are Guila’s various recipes for this that and the other thing, mainly Italian dishes.
There are a whole bunch I want to try at some point, but this one I knew I wanted to make right away. It had been that kind of week!
What is pastina?
Pastina is the tiniest pasta there is – it is little tiny dots of pasta that cook up quickly, and because of its tiny size it tends to be a little softer than most pasta.
Perfect with butter…and even better with the other ingredients in this recipe!
Ingredients you need
The basic components are pretty simple: pastina, egg, butter, cheese, salt and pepper. It cooks up in about 5 minutes start to finish, and turns into a creamy, slightly cheesy concoction that needs to be eaten with a spoon.
- Pastina: And if you can’t find pastina, go for the tiniest pasta you can find. Little stars or even orzo.
- Egg: Any size egg will do.
- Butter: I like salted butter for this recipe, but unsalted will work too!
- Salt and Pepper
- Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated if you can!
How to make this easy pastina recipe
(Scroll down for the handy complete printable recipe with nutrition info!)
STEP 1: Bring one cup of water to boil in small saucepan.
STEP 2: Add pastina and salt and cook until most of the water is absorbed, 3-4 minutes or whatever the instructions on your box suggest.
STEP 3: Turn off heat and stir in egg, letting it cook in the hot pasta.
STEP 4: Add a little butter, a little grated Parmesan cheese and a little salt and pepper. Eat slowly out of your favorite bowl with your favorite spoon.
Comfort food pastina FAQs
Pastina can be a tricky thing to track down! First check your grocery store in the pasta aisle. If you can’t find it there, you can order a good-sized supply of pastina here. And all my friends and loved ones know that I go through it so fast that whenever they see it, they pick me up a box…or six!
You can use whatever kind of cheese makes you feel the most comforted! Just make sure it is a melty kind (like American or finely shredded cheddar) that will mix up into your pastina.
Pop your question in the comments section below and I will get back to you pronto!
I ladled mine into my Peter Rabbit bowl, settled into my favorite chair, and immediately felt much better.
Other comfort food recipes we love!
 Take your breakfast to a whole new level with this simple recipe for soft ricotta scrambled eggs. It also makes a great comfort food supper! |
 Is there anything more wonderful than perfect chicken noodle soup? Here’s that recipe for the best quick and easy chicken noodle soup you’ve been craving! |
 This recipe for the best rice pudding cooks up into a sweet and creamy treat that is one of the best comfort food desserts in the world! |
So if you are looking for a good book to read give I Loved, I Lost, I Ate Spaghetti a try…and the next time you need a little pick-me-up, cook up some of this pastina. Preferably served in a Peter Rabbit bowl.
Could you leave us a review?
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section.
PrintPastina with Egg and Cheese, Otherwise Known As Comfort Food
This simple recipe for pastina with egg and cheese, otherwise known as comfort food, will make everything feel a little better!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup pastina
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
- Fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Bring one cup of water to boil in small saucepan.
- Add pastina and salt and cook until most of the water is absorbed, 3-4 minutes or whatever the instructions on your box suggest.
- Turn off heat and stir in egg, letting it cook in the hot pasta.
- Add butter, cheese and pepper. Eat slowly out of your favorite bowl with your favorite spoon.
- Feel much better.
Notes
Pastina: These teeny dots of pasta are always my favorite choice for this comfort food recipe, but if you can’t find pastina, any small pasta (stars, orzo, etc) will do in a pinch.
Egg: You will be able to see it, but the egg really will cook in the hot pasta – stir it around until you see it forming little bits of scrambled egg.
Keywords: vegetarian comfort food, vegetarian pasta, vegetarian pastina with egg and cheese, kid friendly pasta with cheese recipe
Deborah Kean says
I followed directions, 1 cup water & 1/4 cup pastina… I let it cook 5 minutes, it was aldente, but there was so much water left…I drained it, added egg & stirred but the never really cooked & it was pretty runny… wasn’t too great…
★★
Hi Deborah! Sounds like your pastina needed a little more time to absorb the water. Having it soak up the boiling water will also make things hotter for the egg, which will help it cook up better. You were of course doing the right thing by following the timing in the recipe, but sometimes pasta needs a little more time depending on brand. I hope you try this one again – when it works it is so wonderful, I promise! Thanks for reaching out and I hope your holidays are merry ones!
sherry says
I use a 2:1 ratio of pastina to chicken broth instead of water.. it adds a nice flavor and it will certainly soak up all the broth if left for about 8 or so min! i’m eating it right now bc it’s a perfect easy comfort food!
Hi Sherry and thanks for sharing your pastina experience! Chicken broth is definitely a fun spin on this recipe. :)