Italian Penicillin
Last weekend, Mattes came home from some fun with friends on the Jersey Shore with a bit of a cold and a simple request for Italian Penicillin. Italian Penicillin? Her cold clued me in that she must be referring to a soup, but not a soup she was raised on — and trust me, there were many. Must be a brothy chicken soup with carrots, celery, onions. Maybe some noodles, à la the Jewish Chicken Noodle Soup with which I’m familiar. But what makes it Italian?
The internet led me to this recipe for Italian Penicillin from The Kitchn, which confirmed my assumption of the ingredients while explaining the technique (hint: the mirepoix is pureed) and the use of pastina, a tiny star-shaped pasta often cooked to a porridge-like consistency and served to Italian children as one of their first foods. I just so happened to have a half-box of pastina in my pantry, so it was game on!
Turns out that Italian Penicillin is the definition of comfort. The broth is fortified by the pureed vegetables and then thickened as the pastina absorbs the bulk of the liquid. Topping the bowl with grated Parmesan provides the final salty, umami touch. If you make a pot and have leftovers, you may want to add a touch of water or broth when reheating to loosen the porridge a bit before serving. And if you, like me, are fasting today in observance of Yom Kippur, may you have an easy fast, broken with something as kind to the stomach as this delicious soup. Enjoy!
Italian Penicillin
Ingredients
- 2 Tbls olive oil
- 1 med yellow onion, coarsely chopped about 1 1/2 cups
- 4 med carrots, coarsely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, coursely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 8 c low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 Tbls soy sauce
- 1 Parmesan rind optional
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 lb shredded, cooked chicken about 3 cups
- 1 c dried pastina pasta or another small shape
- 1 Tbls freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1/2 med lemon
- grated Parmesan cheese for serving
- chopped fresh parsley leaves optional garnish
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add coarsely chopped yellow onion, carrots, celery, peeled garlic cloves, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in low-sodium chicken broth, soy sauce, Parmesan cheese rind if using, thyme, and bay leaves. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove and discard the Parmesan rind, thyme stems, and bay leaves. Using a slotted spoon, use an immersion blender or transfer the vegetables to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Return the puréed vegetables to the pot. Bring the soup back to a boil over medium heat. Add shredded chicken and dried pastina pasta. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pot, until the pasta is tender, about 6 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in lemon juice. Taste and season with more kosher salt as needed. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley leaves, if desired.
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