Ditalini, Orzo, Pastina (Acini di Pepe), Pennette, Tubetti, Tubettini

These small pastas are most often used in soups and I also enjoy adding them to stews. They are another exception to the throw-it-right-in approach described in the introduction, with the exception of pastina, which doesn’t give off enough starch or increase enough in volume to be a problem.

I usually recommend precooking these pastas in 2 quarts of boiling water seasoned with 2 tablespoons coarse salt until al dente, then draining them and refreshing them under cold running water. This stops the cooking process and allows you to control how much volume they will add to the soup.

These varieties are largely interchangeable, but it’s worth noting that pastina is the smallest, and orzo isn’t much bigger. These two add a subtle, almost rice-like addition as opposed to the tubular, unmistakably pasta presence of the others.

Add to: Pasta and Bean Soup; Spinach, Parmesan, and Garlic Soup; Twice-Cooked Vegetable Soup; Roasted Fish and Shellfish with Tomatoes and Parsley, smaller pastina only); Rabbit Stew with Marjoram and Vermouth; Chicken in Hunter-Style Sauce; Mushroom-Poached Squab.