pastina
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of pastina
First recorded in 1900–05; from Italian: literally, “little pasta,” diminutive of pasta “pasta” + -ina feminine diminutive suffix; see origin at paste ( def. ), -ine 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Soup is the obvious recommendation for days when appetite has gone AWOL, but two in particular stand out as personal MVPs: the “tiny everything” pastina and rotisserie chicken congee.
From Salon ● Jan. 29, 2026
Caity Korn similarly wrote that pastina is a tradition in her family that still transported her to childhood and being cared for by parents and grandparents.
From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2023
In a Facebook comment, Catherine Martorell detailed how she grew up poor and how pastina was "the only solitary item that was kept in the house at all times."
From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2023
Truthfully, pastina wasn't ever really a staple in my household.
From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2023
His breakfasts may have been a cardiologist’s nightmare—eggs, sausage, bacon, pastina with a poached egg—but he considered his marinara sauce to be healthy perfection: just garlic, oil, tomatoes, salt, and pepper.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
