Pastina
Pastina
Tiny shapes for broth and soup. Stars, rings, grains, letters. Cooked in the liquid, never drained.
- Shapes
- 27, 11 with a full profile
- Measured
- 12 shapes
- Length
- 1 to 12 mm
- Width or diameter
- 1 to 12 mm
- Cook time
- 2 to 15 min
- Surface
- 15 smooth, 3 rough
- Hollow
- 6 shapes
- Dough
- 18 semolina, 3 egg, 3 semolina or egg
- Made by hand
- 2 shapes
- Regions
- All of Italy (7), Sicily (1), Campania (1), Sardinia (1)
- On a brand page
- 20 shapes
Ranges span every measured member.
What the family takes
Across the 11 profiled shapes, the sauces named most often: In brodo (11), Minestrone (10), Pomodoro (4), Pasta e ceci (3), Pasta e fagioli (2), Pasta salad (2).
11 shapes with a full profile
Acini di pepe
Pastina · All of Italy
tiny beads the size of peppercorns
Alphabet pasta
Pastina · All of Italy
tiny letters of the alphabet
Anelli
Pastina · Sicily
small thin rings
Ditalini
Pastina · Campania
tiny straight tube, the soup ditali
Farfalline
Pastina · All of Italy
tiny bow ties for soup
Fregola
Pastina · Sardinia
irregular toasted semolina pearls, like a coarse couscous
Orzo
Pastina · All of Italy
grain-shaped pasta the size of a large rice grain
Pastina
Pastina · All of Italy
any tiny pasta for broth; the smallest grade of all
Quadrucci
Pastina · Lazio
small squares cut from egg tagliatelle
Semi di melone
Pastina · All of Italy
flat oval seeds, like a melon seed
Stelline
Pastina · All of Italy
tiny five- or six-pointed stars with a hole in the centre
16 more pastina
Names, origins, and what the sources say. Profiles in progress.
Anchellini
Pastina
Small beads
Armonie
Pastina
Small "squiggles"
Coralli
Pastina
Ridged tubes
Corallini
Pastina
Small short tubes of pasta
Filini
Pastina
Smaller version of fideos, about 12–15 mm long before cooking
Funghini
Pastina
Small mushroom-shaped pasta
Grano
Pastina
Grain-shaped
Grattoni
Pastina · Veneto
Large granular, irregular shaped pasta
Margheritine
Pastina
Daisy-shaped
Merletti
Pastina
Lace-shaped
Midolline
Pastina
Flat teardrop shaped pasta (similar to Orzo but wider)
Occhi di passero
Pastina
Thick rings
Occhi di pernice
Pastina
Very small rings of pasta
Piombi
Pastina
Spheres slightly larger than acini di pepe
Sorprese
Pastina
Small bell shaped pasta with a ruffled edge and a crease on one side. Can be ridged or smooth (lisce).
Stortini
Pastina
Smaller version of elbow macaroni
Classic plates
- Pastina in brodoAcini di pepe, Pastina
- Alfabeto in brodoAlphabet pasta
- Alphabet soupAlphabet pasta
- Anelletti al forno alla palermitanaAnelli
- Anellini in brodoAnelli
- Farfalline in brodoFarfalline
- Fregola ai frutti di mareFregola
- Fregola con bottargaFregola
- Fregola con le arselleFregola
- Fregola saladFregola
- Frog eye saladAcini di pepe
- GiouvetsiOrzo
- Italian wedding soupAcini di pepe
- Lemon orzoOrzo
- MinestroneDitalini
- Minestrone con farfallineFarfalline
- Orzo in brodoOrzo
- Orzo saladOrzo
Read more
Sources
- Every figure above is computed from the shape records. Each shape page names the brand page, spec sheet, or measured box behind its own numbers.
- The sauce counts and the classic plates come from the pairings and dishes in the profiled shape records: our editorial judgement, checked against the regional cookbooks named on the shape pages.