What is the difference between orzo and pastina?

The main difference between orzo and pastina is the size and shape of the pasta. They're both made from durum wheat semolina flour and water, but orzo is longer than pastina. They will both cook up similarly. Orzo tends to be used more for mediterranean dishes while pastina (AKA stelline) tends to be used for more Italian dishes such as pastina and pastina soup.

What is the difference between pastina and risotto?

Pastina is pasta and risotto is rice, so they're quite different. The closest risotto I have to this recipe is garlic risotto (very similar flavors, but with lots of garlic), but I also have vegan mushroom risotto , vegan asparagus risotto , zucchini risotto , and vegan pumpkin risotto . Risotto is going to be more chewy than pastina, that's just the nature of the food. Risotto also requires a bit more babysitting, but you do have more opportunity to build a more complex and deep flavor profile.

How Long Does Vegan Pastina Last?

Like most pasta, my pastina recipe is best on the first night but will stay good for up to 3-4 days when kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Vegan Pastina

Name: Vegan Pastina
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup stelline or pastina pasta (see note 2 for substitution); 2 ¼ cups vegan chicken broth or vegetable broth; 3 tablespoons vegan butter; ⅓ cup grated vegan parmesan cheese (see note 3); Fresh cracked pepper to taste; Finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional; 1 cup stelline or pastina pasta (see note 2); ¾ cup water (use pasta water or filtered water); ¼ cup raw cashews or sunflower seeds (see note 4); 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast; ½ teaspoon granulated onion; ½ teaspoon granulated garlic; ½ teaspoon salt, to taste; Fresh cracked pepper to taste; Finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional

Description

Vegan Pastina is super simple comfort food that’s ready in just 15 minutes. It’s buttery, satisfying, and really easy to make.

Ingredients

Units Scale

See note 1 for explanation of the two different versions.

Version 1

1 cup stelline or pastina pasta (see note 2 for substitution)
2 1/4 cups vegan chicken broth or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons vegan butter
1/3 cup grated vegan parmesan cheese (see note 3)
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional

Version 2

1 cup stelline or pastina pasta (see note 2)
3/4 cup water (use pasta water or filtered water)
1/4 cup raw cashews or sunflower seeds (see note 4)
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional

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Instructions

Version 1

Bring Broth to a Boil: Heat a medium pot over medium-high heat and immediately add the vegan chicken broth (or vegetable stock) and cover.
Cook Pasta: Once the broth has come to a boil (4–5 minutes on a power burner, or a bit longer if not), add the pasta, stir well, and reduce the heat to medium heat or medium-low. Cook uncovered 3–4 minutes and stir frequently to keep the pasta from sticking. Stoves and pots differ, so your food may take slightly more or less time to cook than mine (I do use my power burner quite a bit, haha).
Add Vegan Butter: Once the pasta is al dente and most of the broth is absorbed, stir in the vegan butter until it melts.
Add Vegan Cheese: Now stir in the vegan cheese until it melts.
Serve Immediately: Serve and garnish with a little more vegan parmesan cheese (if desired), a pinch of finely chopped fresh parsley, and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Enjoy immediately!

Version 2

Bring Water to a Boil: Heat a large pot of water (around 8 cups of water) over medium high heat (salted if desired). Bring to a boil.
Cook Pasta: Add the pasta and stir well. Cook uncovered until the pasta is al dente and drain the excess water (save about ¾ cup of water for the sauce if you'd like, or you can use filtered water).
Make the Sauce: Blend up the sauce ingredients (water, raw cashews or sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, granulated onion and garlic, and salt). Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed and blend again.
Serve Immediately: Add the cooked pasta back to the pot and add the blended sauce. Stir well and serve immediately with a garnish of fresh parsley and fresh cracked black pepper.

Notes

Note 1: Version one (the easiest way, but they're both easy) is super duper simple and just uses broth, vegan butter, vegan parmesan cheese. There is NO STRAINING. This one pot pasta is so quick and so easy. The second version is for folks who cannot find vegan parmesan in their area. Instead, we’ll blend up a cheesy sauce and pour it into cooked pastina.
Note 2: Stelline or pastina pasta is a type of pasta that looks like cute little stars. If you can’t find pastina pasta or stelline pasta (I’ve seen it at Target but also bought it online), you can use any little pasta such as orzo, acini de pepe, alphabet pasta, ditalini, small shells, or even Israeli couscous (this may require a different amount of broth or different cooking time; I have not tested this substitution but I’ve read about it). Use gluten free pasta if needed.
Note 3: Other vegan shredded cheese can work but they take more time at a high heat to melt. One trick is to blitz the shreds in a food processor, but please remember that every brand of vegan cheese varies on its melting abilities). You can substitute my vegan parmesan topping if you’d prefer. If you cannot find vegan cheese near you, please use Version 2 of the recipe.
Note 4: The point of the nuts and seeds is to make a flavored cashew cream or sunflower seed cream. If you’re making version 2, you can substitute the nuts or seeds with cashew butter or sunflower butter. OR substitute the nuts or seeds and the water with a thick and heavy plant based milk like canned coconut milk or unsweetened plant based heavy cream.

Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Pasta, dinner
Method: Stove Top
Cuisine: American, Italian

Keywords: Vegan Pastina, Vegan Pasta Recipes, Quick Vegan Dinner Ideas