Nona's Egg Pastina Un-Recipe - Tiny Pasta, Big Comfort

Some recipes feed your stomach. Others feed your heart.

Nona’s Egg Pastina is one of the latter — a tiny pasta that turns a simple pot of broth and eggs into something comforting, nourishing, and full of memories. It’s the kind of dish that warms you from the inside out and reminds you that love often comes in small, simple packages.

March is that in-between season — shaking off winter’s chill while anticipating spring’s budding arrival — and this little bowl of pastina is exactly what you need to bridge the gap.

My Nona’s Egg Pastina Un-recipe always comes to mind this time of year. It’s a seasonless one-pot dish and so much more than a meal. It’s a cure for what ails you, a source of comfort, a bowl full of memories… and pure deliciousness.

Pastina (meaning “little pasta”) is a tiny Italian pasta, often star-shaped. Simple ingredients, humble and perfect.

Ingredients

Chicken broth (homemade or store-bought, low sodium)
Water
Kosher salt
Pastina
1 egg
Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

The Un-Recipe

I have no real measurements for this — I’ll do my best for you! Growing up, we simply grabbed a pot and added what we needed to make the amount of Egg Pastina we wanted to serve.

Bring 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of cold water to a boil.

Once it reaches a rapid boil, add ½ teaspoon kosher salt.

Add about ½ cup pastina.

Stir occasionally and cook until the pastina is al dente, then turn off the heat.

Do not drain.

In a separate bowl, scramble the egg.

Temper the egg by spooning a little of the hot broth into the scrambled egg while stirring. Then slowly add the egg mixture back into the pot, stirring gently.

Serve in a bowl topped with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Mangia!

Nona’s Tip

When tempering the egg, go slowly and keep stirring. The warm broth gently cooks the egg into silky ribbons instead of scrambling it.

P.S. This is a wonderful dish when you’re not feeling well. The broth helps hydrate you, and the egg adds a little nourishing protein — just the way Nona intended.

And maybe that’s why I love freshwater pearls so much, too. Both pearls and recipes like this start with something simple and become something meaningful over time — little reminders of comfort, love, and the people who shaped us.

Nona believed a pot of pastina could fix almost anything — a cold day, a tired heart, or a house that just needed a little love.

Un-recipes are meant to be shaped to your taste, so play with the amount of broth and egg, and add your own touches of love — creating a special memory for your family along the way.

A Little Pearl of Wisdom

The simplest things often become the most meaningful — a bowl of pastina, a story passed down, a quiet moment at the kitchen table.

Much like freshwater pearls, they begin as something small and simple, and over time become something beautiful.