One-Pot Lemony Veggie Pastina

One of my go-to comfort foods is a nice warm bowl of pastina. When I was little, my best friend’s mom used to make it and I would always ask for it at home. But my mom made it more like soup than risotto, and I liked the creamy, comforting version. So I started making my own! It’s the best dish when you’re feeling sick or it’s a crappy day outside and you just want to curl up with something warm. Typically, I would make it with just chicken broth, cheese, and an egg. That is the quick and traditional version. But as I got older, I realized vegetables are important too. And they taste better when they are covered in pasta and cheese! That’s how lemony veggie pastina began.

It’s a really easy one-pot pasta meal that is perfect for a weeknight and great for times like these when you might have slim pickings at the grocery store or scraps in your fridge, because you can use so many different veggies in this recipe. I’ve had success with broccoli, mushrooms, brussels sprouts (which are a favorite!), zucchini, asparagus, kale, and spinach. But the world is your oyster here!

First you will add your butter and garlic and mix until fragrant. Then you will add your pastina and loads of veggies and stir until the veggies are partially cooked. Then you’ll add chicken broth, thyme and lemon juice/zest and cook the pastina until it’s thick and creamy. And then to bring it over the top in creaminess, you’ll add loads of cheese (I like a mix of ricotta, pecorino, and feta) and then serve with more lemon zest and grated pecorino!

Print Recipe

Lemony Veggie Pastina

This is a really easy one-pot pasta weeknight meal that is full of pantry staples and a great way to clean out some leftover veggies. It’s also a great way to hide veggies under a bunch of cheese and pasta, for all of those picky eaters out there!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

• Large pot or dutch oven

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 12 oz box of pastina or other small pasta, like orzo
• 4 cups chopped vegetables (You can use anything you have in your fridge – I really like it with brussels sprouts and asparagus, but its also great with zucchini, broccoli, kale, or spinach)
• 2 sprigs thyme stems removed
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 40 oz chicken broth
• 1/4 cup feta crumbled
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino
• 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, combine the butter and garlic.
• Add the veggies and pastina, and cook, stirring frequently, until the veggies are partially cooked (i.e. greens are starting to wilt, asparagus is nice and green). Make sure you are scraping the bottom of the pan as you stir.
• Add 1 cup (8 oz) of chicken broth to deglaze the pan, along with the lemon juice and zest. Stir to combine and scrape everything from the bottom of the pan.
• Add the remaining 32 oz of chicken broth and stir frequently until the pastina is cooked and thickened. This should take about 8-10 minutes. If your pastina is sticking to the bottom and your liquid is fully absorbed, you can add more water or chicken broth.
• Once the pastina is cooked, add the feta, pecorino, and ricotta. And stir to combine.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with more lemon zest and pecorino.

Notes

This stores nicely in an air tight container in the refrigerator for about a week. When you want to reheat, take your desired portion out of the container, add about 1/4 cup of additional liquid (chicken broth or water) for every cup of pastina. Then reheat and stir to combine.