Pastina

{{Short description|Italian small pasta type for soup}}

{{For|the village in Tuscany|Pastina, Santa Luce}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}

{{Infobox prepared food

| name = Pastina

| image = Pasta 2006 4.jpg

| image_size = 250px

| caption =

| alternate_name =

| country = Italy

| region =

| creator =

| course =

| type = Pasta

| served =

| main_ingredient = Wheat flour

| variations =

}}

Pastina ({{literally|little pasta}}) is a variety of pasta consisting of tiny pieces, typically of a round (irregular) shape with a diameter of about {{convert|2|mm|in|frac=16|abbr=off|spell=in}}.{{Cite web |title=What Is Pastina and How Do You Cook It? |url=https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-pastina-3376804 |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=The Spruce Eats |language=en}} It is the smallest type of pasta produced. It is made of wheat flour and may also include egg. {{lang|it|Pastina}} is a general term referring to many small shapes of pasta. It is used in many different ways in Italian cuisine, including as an ingredient of soup, desserts, infant food and also, alone, as a distinct and unique pasta dish.{{Cite web |last=npapastafits |date=2018-08-24 |title=Pastina |url=https://sharethepasta.org/pasta-shapes/pastina/ |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=Share the Pasta |language=en-US}}

It is also referred to as "Italian penicillin".{{Cite web |last=Jacqui |date=2023-02-04 |title=What is Pastina Pasta? |url=https://www.the-pasta-project.com/what-is-pastina-pasta/#:~:text=In%20Italy,%20pastina%20cooked%20in,from%204%20months%20of%20age |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=The Pasta Project |language=en-GB}} Stanley Tucci's follow-up memoir "What I Ate in One Year (and Related Thoughts)" mentions in his book cooking pastina, "that Italian cure-all", for his son.{{Cite book |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/stanley-tucci/what-i-ate-in-one-year/ |title=WHAT I ATE IN ONE YEAR {{!}} Kirkus Reviews |language=en}}