The Reports Of Pastina’s Death Are Greatly Exaggerated
I know. I know! Ronzoni is no longer making and selling Pastina and I know it has been the go-to brand for generations but you can still get Pasinta, or more accurately, Stelline, which means “little stars”. It is still sold by Barilla, San Giorgio and others. Even Target sells a Made-In-Italy Stelline under it’s “Good and Gather” label. Although I admit that the Target pasta stars are larger than I prefer, it will work in a pinch. To paraphrase Mark Twain, the reports of Pastina’s death are greatly exaggerated.
This is good news but it seems to be not broadly known – I’ve seen single 12 ounce boxes of Ronzoni Pastina listing on Amazon for as much as $28! It is true that it was hard to find early in 2023 after Ronzoni first announced that it would no longer make – or more accurately – would not renew their agreement with the contract manufacturer that had been making it for them. Now however, super markets seem to have adequate supply and at least one chain is offering discounts!
So fear not and welcome back to Chef hacker Kitchen. Today we are using Stelline in another Italian Peasant dish that is fast and easy to make, and is also hearty and delicious. It is meatless so it’s perfect for people who fast on Friday’s in Lent, or for anyone, really, who may be looking to eat less meat. This is Pastina with Egg.
When I was a child, my Grandmother often made this dish for lunch. I loved eating it whenever she would make it but I found it to be especially comforting when I was not feeling my best. If I had the sniffles or a sore throat a steaming bowl of Pastina and Egg always brightened by day. It is truly a comfort food. The version we are showing today is made with water and served at the thickness of a porridge but Pastina is also wonderful as the starch in a chicken soup – called “Chicken Pastina” – or as a side dish with only butter. This is one versatile pasta!
The ingredients are eggs, Pastina, water, your favorite grated cheese such as Romano, Parmesan, Pecorino or any Italian style cheese or blend of cheeses you choose, butter, salt and pepper.
The cooking process is simple: First, cook the pasta, al dente, in salted boiling water. Drain off most of the water then return to the strove top and drizzle in the beaten egg. When the egg is cooked, stir in the butter and cheese and serve it with ground black pepper and additional cheese and salt if needed. It would be hard to come up with a simpler dish that is so hearty, satisfying and easily prepared!
This dish can be a fast and simple lunch or light dinner so try it and let us know how it turns out by leaving a message in the “Leave A Comment” section below. …and check back here at Chef Hacker Kitchen soon because we are in the process of testing a Chicken Pastina Soup recipe that we will be posting shortly.
Pastina With Egg And Cheese
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Pastina
- 3 Cups Water
- 2 Each Eggs
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- 2 Tbsp Grated Cheese Parmesan, Romano, or your favorite blend
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
Preparation
- Add a small palm-full of salt to 3 cups of water and bring to boil.
- Beat eggs well until they become a consistent pale yellow color.
Cooking
- Stir Pastina into salted boiling water and cook for about 5 or 6 minutes. Be sure not to overcook.
- Use a strainer to drain most of the water from the Pastina. Leave enough water so that it is roughly the consistency of a thin milkshake. If any Pastina collected in the strainer return it to the pot.
- Return the Pastina to the stove on low to medium heat. Slowly drizzle in the beaten egg by adding a small amount of the egg, pausing then stirring a bit, then adding more egg and repeating until all of the egg has been added. Cover the pot so that the egg cooks completely. Your goal is to have tiny bits of the egg cook and be distributed throughout the dish.
- Add the butter and stir.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese around the top of the Pastina and replace the lid so that the cheese melts in to the dish. Avoid stirring the dish until the cheese has melted else you risk having the cheese collect on the spoon.
- Serve the dish in bowls with extra cheese and pepper.