Broccoli Cheddar Pastina
Not quite soup, not quite pasta... but the best of both.
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I have long loved Broccoli Cheddar Soup, and likewise, I’ve always been an incredibly big fan of pasta. (It just might be my favorite meal.) Broccoli Cheddar Pastina is not quite either of those things, but it does take the best of both of them and bring them together into something all its own. It’s not quite soup, it’s not quite pasta, but it is cozy, comforting, and delicious and it comes together in a single pot in under 30 minutes.
What Ingredients Do You Need for Broccoli Cheddar Pastina?
You’ll need:
- Broccoli.
- Carrots, onion, and garlic.
- Butter.
- Broth, chicken or vegetable. Up to you!
- Acini di pepe or pastina pasta.
- Heavy cream.
- Cheddar cheese and some pecorino Romano or Parmesan.
It’s not a terribly long list!
What is Pastina?
Pastina refers to any pasta shape that is tiny in size. In Italian, it literally means little pasta. So it can refer to acini de Pepe or stelline (tiny stars)
How Do You Make Broccoli Cheddar Pastina?
It’s very easy AND it comes together in one pot! (I love a one-pan meal.)
To start, you’ll want to melt that butter in a skillet or large saucepan and then get the onion, carrots, and garlic in there to soften up. You don’t need to get any color on them, so a medium heat is fine. Once those are soft, stir in the pasta and white wine. You’ll want to stir continuously here and keep going until the wine reduces a bit, which should just take a minute.
After that, stir in the broth and the broccoli and increase the heat to a simmer. You want to stir and cook until the pasta is al dente and most of the liquid has absorbed. If it’s absorbing too quickly, just add a little more water or broth.
Once the pasta and broccoli are tender, reduce the heat and stir in some heavy cream and both of the cheeses. And that’s it! In about 20 minutes, you’ll have a creamy, cheesy meal with all the flavor of broccoli cheddar soup and the chewy comfort of pasta.
Broccoli Cheddar Pastina
Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup acini di pepe or pastina
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, plus more as needed
- 2 cups broccoli florets, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese, finely grated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add onion, carrot, and garlic, and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in pasta, followed by white wine. Stirring constantly, let liquid reduce a bit, about 1 minute.
- Stir in broth, followed by broccoli florets. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente and much of the liquid has absorbed. If needed, add more broth or water.
- Reduce heat to low, then stir in heavy cream, followed by the cheeses, adding a handful at a time and stirring in between.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with more parmesan or pecorino Romano if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Bold Appetite.