An Italian-American recipe developer, Gianna uses her knowledge of Italian home cooking techniques as the backbone of her recipes. Generally, pastina makers recommend using four to six quarts of boiling water, just like when cooking larger pasta.

Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Stelline pasta is a type of small star-shaped pasta made from wheat flour and water that is often used in soups, salads and pasta dishes. I grew up with chicken and dumplings, dumplings being bread cooked floating on top of the chicken soup!

Because they’re so small and have a hole in the middle, stelline cook very quickly, which makes them the perfect addition to any soup.

That last one (to tears) isn’t exactly accurate, but it’s more likely that it happened in reality =). Olive oil— Use a quality extra virgin olive oil if possible because it really makes a difference in the flavour of this stars soup. The first half of this statement is a common myth and “a mistranslation of the word Minestra Maritata, which refers not to the wedding, but to the fact that all the ingredients of the soup, vegetables and meatballs, are joined in marriage. Lower the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the stelline are al dente, stirring occasionally, so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

Cut the dough into small star-shaped pieces using a star-shaped cookie cutter, matching shapes, or a sharp knife. A dash of butter and a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese make this pasta a perfect dish for picky kids. Once the pasta is cooked, and most of the liquid absorbed, vigorously stir in a little butter, 2 scrambled eggs, and grated parmesan cheese. The stelline only need around 5-7 min to cook through so you can add just the right amount before serving. De-bone and chop the chicken before adding it to the soup to avoid needing to do this at a later stage.