This Pasta with Chicken Broth, Butter and Parmesan is pure comfort food! It is a bowl of wonderful, warming, healing amazingness.
One spoonful and you know the world is going to start looking brighter. A whole bowl and you feel restored.
A super easy pasta soup
This Pasta with chicken broth will become your new favourite simple dinner.
The pasta is cooked in the chicken broth (stock) so it takes on all the delicious flavours. (For a more substantial dinner you can add shredded chicken)
Usually when you cook pasta you use plenty of boiling water and keep it at a rolling boil.
With this recipe to ensure the pasta packs a flavour punch, you want to use the lowest simmer possible. If the broth/stock starts to boil, it will evaporate out of the pan and there won't be enough to cook your pasta fully.
So use a low simmer and you will be rewarded with a comforting bowl of pasta!
If your soup ends up too dry you can add extra broth or water to the pan at the end.
The broth matters
The majority of the flavour in this dish comes from the chicken broth (chicken stock) so it needs to be the star of the show.
Homemade is best, as it has plenty of flavour and that unctuous richness that cartons can't provide.
There are some great store bought options out there, but bottom of my list would be those crumbly over salty chicken stock cubes. They don't taste of chicken, have no goodness in them and really will leave you with a below average dish!
The dish is Pasta with Chicken Broth; the broth is the key!
Based on an Italian classic pasta soup, this dish is pure comfort food!
What pasta to use?
This is based on a traditional Italian dish, where they use pastina, the small star like pasta shapes.
Want to save this recipe?
I didn't have them as to be honest they aren't my favourite, I like pasta with a little more body to it, so I used these super cute teeny tiny tubes.
Risoni/orzo would work well too. I actually planned to use risoni but I realised I used it all up in my Tomato Risoni Salad!!!
Really it works well with any small pasta shape.
Butter is flavor
Don't be put off by the butter in this, it is warm and comforting and just so good.
You can imagine being sat at an Italian kitchen table, feeling a little under the weathered being served big bowls of this by your Italian Nonna!
I got this recipe from the Italian Nonna of a dear friend, and she says the butter is vital as it replaces the fat that traditionally was in homemade chicken broth, before chicken were bred to be low fat. But if you can't bring yourself to add that much butter, you can half the amount.
Enjoy x
For more delicious pasta ideas why not try:
- Garlic Butter Pasta with Garlic Chicken
- Creamy Tomato Chicken Chorizo Pasta
- Creamy Lemon Salmon Pasta
- Creamy Chicken Chili Pasta
- Easy Garlic Bacon Pasta
- Creamy Pepper Steak Pasta
- Black Truffle Pasta
- See ALL 80+ Pasta Recipes
Get the Recipe
Pasta with Chicken Broth, Butter and Parmesan
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken broth/stock
- 2 cups small pasta shapes - pastina/stelline/orzo
- ½ stick butter
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano cheese
- black pepper
- Salt to taste (you probably won't need any)
- fresh basil (parsley works well too)
Instructions
- Bring the chicken stock to a boil.
- Add the pasta and stir well
- Turn the heat down to a very gently simmer and cook the pasta as per the packet instructions. Ensure you stir it during the cooking as you are only using a small amount of stock. (see notes)
- Once the pasta is cooked, remove it from the heat and stir in the butter.
- Use a slotted spoon to divide the pasta between the serving bowls.
- Pour over the chicken stock. (See notes)
- Add the parmesan, plenty of black pepper and garnish with your fresh herbs.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is per serving
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Linda says
The ultimate comfort food! Delicious and so easy to make. I love when a recipe I make looks as good as the ones pictured and mine does. Validation that the photos are not 'tweaked' to make it look better. This recipe is perfect!!!
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
oh this makes me so happy 🙂
Cx
Gary says
When should I add the shredded chicken?
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
I would add it about a minute from the end, so it can just heat up in the remaining broth.
Hope that helps
Cx
Denise says
We are all fighting a stomach flu here and this was definitely a comfort today. I usually make a big pot of chicken soup but didn't have the ingredients for it but had all the fixings for this. Thank you for helping this sick household feel a little better. We all loved it.
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
Oh I am so glad it helped 🙂
it is a fav in our house when we feel under the weather.
I hope you are all feeling a little better now.
Cx
Kara says
Cooking for 1 here.. how long would leftovers be good in the refrigerator? Would it reheat well?
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
Hi Kara,
The leftover pasta tends to soak up more of the broth and get very soft. If you are going to keep it I recommend separating the pasta and broth.
You can also easily reduce the quantities to make a smaller portion. If you hover over the servings number you can use the slider to change the servings. This will update the amounts of each ingredient in the recipe list.
Hope that helps
Cx
Kirsten Tobias says
The soup was so warm and cozy, I savored every spoonful. I used margarine instead of butter, dried basil and oregano instead of fresh, and shredded parmesan cheese instead of grated. I also added some cannellini beans for extra protein and fiber. I would suggest using Colavita Soup Shells for the pasta, as they are fun and cute, and they hold the soup well.
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Cx
Kelli Miller says
As someone who loves pasta, I'm always looking for new ways to enjoy it and this recipe definitely did not disappoint.
I first noticed the aroma filling my kitchen as I cooked the pasta in the chicken broth. It smelled heavenly and I couldn't wait to add in the butter and Parmesan cheese.
Once everything was mixed, the result was incredible. The broth added a savory flavor to the pasta, while the butter made it rich and creamy. And the Parmesan cheese gave it just the right amount of saltiness and umami.
I also appreciate how easy and quick the recipe was to make. I was able to whip it up in no time, which is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.
Claire McEwen says
Wow!! Thank you Kelli, that is a great review!
I am so happy you love this soup, it is one of my favourite comfort food recipes.
Cx
Gina says
This reminds me so much of the soup my mom would make us when we were sick as kids. So much nostalgia in this recipe and it's delicious!
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so happy you enjoyed it Gina 🙂
Cx
Addison says
Total warm and cozy comfort food! This was a winner for the whole family.
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so glad they all enjoyed it 🙂
It is a favour ours when we need comfort food!
Cx
Lee says
Love this soup but my parmesan turned into a sticky rubbery mess when added to the soup. How do you prevent this from happening? (It was still delicious but I had to pull the cheese glob out & toss it).
Claire McEwen says
Hi Lee,
I make sure that I sprinkle the parmesan on the pasta rather than into the broth, that way I can sort of spoon pasta through the cheese rather than pushing the cheese into the broth.
hope that sort of makes sense.
If you want it mixed through the broth, then sprinkle it lightly around the bowl and stir it in before adding another dusting.
Freshly grated cheese is definitely best here as it melts more consistently as well.
Hope that helps
Cx
Kelly R says
I can across your recipe on Pinterest when searching for easy soup recipes because I got COVID and wanted something better than can of soup. I made this with bone broth and it turned out soooo good. Thanks for sharing!
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so glad you enjoyed the soup. Bone broth would have been so perfect for this dish.
Hope you are recovering from COVID now
Cx
Javafox says
First, I must say the directions for this soup are well written. But that's where the positive comments end. To all of you who love this recipe, have you taken the time to read through the nutritional list? At the instruction of using an entire stick of butter for two servings of this soup, the cholesterol, and fat content per serving is enough to stop anyone with concerns for their health. This is outrageous, unhealthy and just pain ridiculous. STAY AWAY!
Although this comforting recipe is based on a traditional, Italian soup enjoyed by so many, the addition of butter is NOT. This is a great soup, comforting, nutritious and delicious without the butter. You can even use unsalted broth for an even healthier version as the Parmesan adds quite enough sodium.
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
Thank you for your health advice, but I will continue to make my soup the way I like it. And I love it with butter as it is comforting and delicious.
You do you and let others do them.
P.S It is half a stick of butter!
andrea p says
Great response! Polite and to the point. And as Julia Child said, "you have to have a little butter and cream!"
Janice Gass says
1/2 stick butter‼️‼️
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
And is tastes so good! 😉
Summer says
I made this for my family for dinner, they loved it. It brought my very picky 10 year old comfort when she had the flu. The recipe is perfect as is. Javafox, everything is ok in moderation, a bowl of this when you are under the weather is not going to kill you just because it has some butter in it. Eating healthy most of the time and splurging sometimes is what makes life worth living! You seem very unbalanced and unhappy. Claire, I adore you, your blog and your recipes, thank you for being a ray of sunshine!😘
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
Thank you so much Summer 🙂
I totally agree! Life is for living and I know that I would be miserable if I lived on poached chicken/fish and steamed veggies. The occasional bowl of buttery pasta goodness is not the end of the world.
So pleased that your daughter enjoyed the soup and found comfort in it. When our babies are sick we'd do anything to make them feel better!
Thank you for your lovely message 🙂
Cx
VK says
“Although this comforting recipe is based on a traditional, Italian soup enjoyed by so many, the addition of butter is NOT.”
100% accurate. Glad to see someone pointing this out. The rest of your comment is spot on, too.
Claire McEwen says
It is BASED on a traditional Italian soup, not an exact replica.
As you point out it traditionally didn't have butter in it. But hey, life is for living and a bowl of buttery chickeny pasta soup makes me happy every now and then!
Although, it is actually a recipe that was passed to me by the Italian Nonna of a very dear friend, and she added butter, as she said it added the extra fat that you no longer get in homemade chicken broth as the chickens no longer have fat on them! So 🤷🏻♀️
If someone wants to leave out the butter and use a carton of no-sodium chicken broth, rather than adding butter and using a well seasoned homemade chicken stock, well that is their choice and while I wish they would try it in all its gloriousness as written, I support anyone adapting my recipes to suit their tastes or diet.
But me? I will keep making it the way I enjoy it. Because that is the beauty of cooking, I can make the food that I love, the way I love it.
Tani says
Jeez …do you spend your entire day trolling the internet for things too complain about???
Kristin Maxwell says
Hi Claire! I wasn't feeling well tonight and went looking for something simple and light using chicken broth. I made your recipe using Angel Hair pasta (broken up) and added a tablespoon of lemon juice. My husband offered to marry me again, and we both absolutely loved it. So comforting and easy on my tummy. Thanks!
Claire McEwen says
This made me smile so much 😀
Cx
Karen says
How much angel hair pasta did you use?
Lee Uerkwitz says
Always keep a jar of Better than Bouillon (come in chicken, beef and vegetable) in my pantry. It's delicious, economical and takes up less space than buying quarts of broth at the grocery.
Alison says
Just finished my first bowl of this. Was so familiar and comforting! So, so good. Great for when you have other things to get done- low prep and cooks in the background.
Tristan says
I've made this soup multiple times and honestly it is a unexpected gem! I didn't think something tossed together so easily could be so delicious! Every bite is warm and buttery and PERFECT! If we're feeling icky or even after long day, this is what I crave. Everyone in the house loves it and gobbles it up. Delicious recipe!