I practically lived on this soup when I was a baby. A generation later, I fed the same soup to my own daughter. The recipe is from my grandmother Antoinette Abbruzzese, a fine cook who greatly influenced my cooking as I was growing up. Evidently, she influenced my palate in my earliest years of life as well.

Steps

1. Bring the broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the pastina and cook until it is soft and the soup has thickened. Taste and add salt, if needed.
2. Pour the egg into the simmering soup all at once and cook, stirring to break the egg into small clumps, about 1 minute.
3. Ladle into a bowl, sprinkle with cheese, and serve.