pastina

American  

[pa-stee-nuh] / pæˈsti nə /

noun

1. very small pieces of pasta, available in various shapes, used especially in soups.

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Etymology

Origin of pastina

First recorded in 1900–05; from Italian: literally, “little pasta,” diminutive of pasta “pasta” + -ina feminine diminutive suffix; paste ( def. ), -ine ²

Example Sentences

This reminded me, in Italian-American culture, of pastina — a grain that has deep, revenant importance throughout both Italy, America and many countries beyond that.

From Salon

Similar to how pastina is sometimes referred to as "Italian penicillin," the same is true for chicken or chicken noodle, often hailed or regarded as "Jewish penicillin."

From Salon

This was soon especially evidenced after I posted a quick tweet and Facebook status, asking what about pastina did you hold so dear?

From Salon

As written by Celia Mattinson in Bon Appetit, "pastina literally means 'little pasta' and can refer to any number of miniature pastas, but Ronzoni, founded in 1915 by an Italian immigrant, helped to mainstream the star shape found in pasta bowls across the US."

From Salon

As people flock to stores, ravenously purchasing entire shelves of pastina in hopes of shoring up, I thought it'd be interesting to delve into what exactly has caused people to have such a deep, tremendous loyalty to the minuscule pasta.

From Salon