Tomato Pastina
Tomato pastina is what I make when I don't feel like cooking but still want something that feels like a proper meal. It's a bowl of comforting tomato pasta that comes together in 15 minutes from 10 store cupboard ingredients, no chopping required.
Servings: 4
Calories: 301kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 cups chicken or veg stock
- 4 tablespoon tomato puree
- 9 oz pastina (Note 1)
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon balsamic
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
To serve
- Parmesan finely shredded
Instructions
- Add the butter to a large pot over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato puree, dried oregano, sugar, and balsamic vinegar. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring to combine everything into a paste.
- Pour in the stock and stir well to dissolve the tomato mixture into the broth. Raise the heat to high and bring to boil.
- Add the pastina and stir. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pastina is tender.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, top with Parmesan and serve.
Video
Notes
- If pastina is hard to find in your local store, Stelline is my go-to. It's more widely available and the closest match. Other small pasta shapes like orzo or fregola also work well.
- Use butter instead of oil to sauté the garlic. It adds a richness that oil doesn't give you.
- Stir the pastina regularly while it cooks to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Watch the timing closely. Pastina cooks fast and goes from al dente to soft very quickly.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 50mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 265IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 3mg