CHAOS TO COMFORT · LITTLE BOWLS OF COMFORT
I made a whole list of ways to eat pastina. I put broccoli and ricotta in one. I added meatballs to another. Then I asked my three boys what they wanted on theirs.
Butter. Butter. And one little finger pointing at the butter.
So much for the menu.
I can’t even blame them. Pastina was one of my favourite things to eat as a kid, and it still is. There’s something about those tiny spoonfuls that takes me right back. I can forget what I walked into a room for, but somehow I remember exactly how it feels to sit down with a warm bowl of pastina.
I want my boys to have that feeling too.
What I hope they remember
I wonder what they’ll remember about dinner at our house. I’m pretty sure it won’t be whether I stuck to the weekly menu or how many vegetables I managed to sneak into a sauce. They might remember who got the biggest pat of butter, though. That’s the kind of thing siblings bring up twenty years later.
Mostly, I hope they remember sitting together. The little arguments, the laughing with their mouths full, and how quickly a quiet dinner could turn into all three of them telling me something at the same time.
One day, they might make pastina in their own kitchens. I hope the first bite reminds them of ours.
Butter for all
I’ll still make the broccoli ricotta and the little meatball soup. I like changing things up, and every so often one of the boys surprises me by asking for seconds of something I was sure he’d refuse.
But when all three ask for butter, I’m happy to make it that way. It’s one less dinner decision for me, and one more night when we all agree on something. Around here, that’s worth celebrating.
Watch Butter for All on YouTube
Find your favourite bowl
Start with Pastina Many Ways or jump straight to the bowl you’re craving.
- Egg & Cheese
- A Little Oil
- Veggie Purée
- Buttery Pastina with Meatballs
- Pastina Mac & Cheese
- Broccoli Ricotta Pastina
- Italian Pastina with Potatoes (Pasta e Patate)
- Blended Veggie Pastina Soup with Mini Pork Meatballs
What’s your favourite way to eat pastina? And is there a meal from your childhood you hope your kids will remember too?
