Main Dishes
Creamy Truffle Pastina Recipe
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
20 minutes
Yield
3 -4
This truffle pastina recipe is creamy, earthy, and the ultimate comfort dish for a winter day.
Holy smokes this truffle pastina recipe is everything you need in your life on a gloomy day when you need that ultimate comfort food dish. The earthy flavors of truffle, the creaminess, the crunch of the nuts, it’s absolutely delicious.
Why you’ll love this pastina recipe:
- Quick: Make this pastina recipe in only 30 minutes. That’s it!
- Delicious: Anything with truffles in it you can sign me up. They are so earthy and flavorful
- Comforting: This warming dish is the ultimate comfort food on a cold, winter day
What is pastina?
Pastina: Pastina is a type of pasta that is very tiny. It’s usually round in shape and it’s the smallest kind of pasta produced. It can be great for a risotto-like consistency like this pastina recipe, or even in soups.
Candied Pecans: To add a crunch to this pastina recipe I used Sante Nuts Candied Pecans. I always have these on hand in my cupboard to add to recipes like this, toss onto salads, or just eat on their own. Sante Nuts uses the highest-quality nuts and small-batch processes them into the best treat.
How to make pastina:
- Warm 4 cups of water or vegetable stock over low heat in a medium-sized pot. Keep warm on the stove until ready to use.
- To start making the risotto, add 2 tbsp olive oil to a large frying pan. Add onions and garlic, cook until softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper.
- Add pastina noodles and stir to coat, about a minute. Stir in vegetable stock paste until combined, about a minute.
- Deglaze with rose wine (if using) or go right to adding hot water or broth. Start with 1 cup water or broth, and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer and stir until most of the broth is absorbed. Keep adding 1 cup at a time, letting the pastina absorb it slowly, each time, stirring often until all of the water or broth has been added. The pastina should be al dente and creamy.
- Then stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, truffle sauce, fresh basil, fresh rosemary and butter to finish the dish. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper or truffle sauce if needed.
- To serve, top the risotto with candied pecans & drizzle of olive oil.
Expert Tips & FAQ:
What kind of pasta is pastina? Consisting of tiny pieces of pasta, typically of a round, and is the smallest form of pasta you can get.
Do you drain pastina? Yes, but you can also cook it directly in a soup or stew too.
Is pastina the same as orzo? No, pastina is smaller, where orzo is more of a rice shape.
Is acini de pepe the same as pastina? Yes it is!
Looser Consistency: If you want a looser risotto, add more water or vegetable stock.
Add Protein: If you’d like to add a protein, top this risotto with chicken, salmon, or shrimp, or try your favorite plant-based protein. Sauteed mushrooms would also be a lovely topper to this dish.
What are truffles? This doesn’t make them sound too delicious but technically they are edible spores that grow on an underground fungus. They’re often confused with mushrooms but technically they aren’t. Truffle oil or products can add a real earthiness to your dish but I’ll be honest, it’s not a taste that everyone enjoys.
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Creamy Truffle Pastina Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 4 cups water
- 1 tbsp vegetable stock paste
- 1 1/2 cups pastina pasta
- 1/4 cup white wine
- zest of one lemon
- juice of half a Lemon
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/2-1 tsp minced white truffles in oil
- 2 tbsp minced fresh basil
- 1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup Sante Nuts Candied Pecans
Instructions
- Warm 4 cups of water or vegetable stock over low heat in a medium-sized pot. Keep warm on the stove until ready to use.
- To start making the risotto, add 2 tbsp olive oil to a large frying pan. Add onions and garlic, cook until softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper.
- Add pastina noodles and stir to coat, about a minute. Stir in vegetable stock paste until combined, about a minute.
- Deglaze with rose wine (if using) or go right to adding hot water or broth. Start with 1 cup water or broth, and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer and stir until most of the broth is absorbed. Keep adding 1 cup at a time, letting the pastina absorb it slowly, each time, stirring often until all of the water or broth has been added. The pastina should be al dente and creamy.
- Then stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, truffle sauce, fresh basil, fresh rosemary and butter to finish the dish. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper or truffle sauce if needed.
- To serve, top the risotto with candied pecans & drizzle of olive oil.
