Tiny pasta, broth, anchovies (?!)

I’ve been neglecting new-ish recipes recently. I am the textbook definition of a creature of habit, constantly reaching for what I already know, either too lazy or afraid to try something out of my comfort zone (read: Taurus). Of course chicken soup is hardly revolutionary, although I tend to distance myself from soups because I honestly find them quite boring and often, not filling enough. The cold bite of autumn and the stock I’d made earlier on Sunday (plus the two glasses of red wine I’d just consumed at the pub) led me to the stove, craving something warm and unfussy. Pastina had been on my mind and I knew there were about three packets of orzo and fregola that had been almost emptied out over the past year. I hadn’t gone to the shops and ingredients were scarce. Simplicity was the only option. I’ve been reading Six California Kitchens and I felt like this rustic soup might feel right at home in Sally Schmitt’s wood-lined kitchen.