Brothy Tomato Pastina
Anybody who knows me knows that I LOVE pasta. Any time of day, any combination, I will eat it. This brothy tomato pastina is the perfect comfort meal. It’s rich, flavorful, warms your soul, and even has some added nutrients from the fresh tomatoes. A bonus: it’s really easy to throw together.
Ingredients
Pastina
Butter
Red onion, diced
Roma tomatoes, diced
Garlic, minced
Jarred calabrian chili pepperrs (Trader Joe’s has a great option)
Veggie broth
Salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Italian seasoning
Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Heavily salt your water, give it a good stir, and drop in the pastina. Cook al dente according to package instructions.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a large pan with a tab of butter. Add in your diced onions and tomatoes. Allow that to cook down until the onions become see-through and the tomatoes have lost some of their structure.
Add the minced garlic to your pan and cook for another minute or two, until fragrant. Throw in the smallest scoop of the calabrian chili peppers and give it all a good stir. (I caution you to start with a small amount and add more if needed, these are always spicier than I remember them being).
Once all of the veggies have kind of cooked together, season with salt, fresh cracked pepper, and Italian seasoning. Give it a mix before adding in the veggie broth.
By now, your pasta should be pretty cooked. Drain and set aside until just before serving.
Let the broth simmer on low-medium heat to heat it up and fully incorporate all of the flavors from the pan (but don’t allow it to come to a boil).
Portion out your broth into a bowl and toss that pastina in. Top it off with a fresh pad of butter and gentle sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese.
