How Little Pasta is Making Big Waves
Industry Trends, Culinary
2025.07.01
Food trends spread much like vines - growing fast, climbing high, and sometimes, completely taking over. While seasonal staples like pumpkin spice and peppermint mocha have become familiar traditions, society regurgitates less influential microtrends rather quickly. Think Dubai chocolate consuming every bakery across the globe, or the viral whipped coffee trending on socials - here today, gone tomorrow.
But not all trends have to be about flavor, ingredients, or taste. Some are rooted in composition, texture, or even aesthetics. The most fascinating trends are the ones that resurface after many years off the grid - once beloved, then forgotten, only to return with surprising force.
Enter pastina, Datassential’s 2025 Trend Report highlights it as the #1 food to have on the radar for 2025 and beyond, literally the “star” of the show. This dish, otherwise known as tiny noodle soup, has piqued the interest of 56% of consumers, while 19% have already tried it.
Despite its rising popularity, 67% of consumers interested in trying it haven’t even heard of it - proof of its untapped potential. Its charm lies in its simplicity and versatility, showing up in several forms like stelline (tiny stars), acini di pepe, ditalini, and orzo.
Major celebrity endorsements have only fueled pastina’s resurgence. One celebrated culinary enthusiast, Stanley Tucci, brought his childhood recipe to light - boiling pastina, tossing it with butter and Parmigiano Reggiano, then adding pasta water to form a creamy, comforting bowl of what many call “Italian Penicillin.”
For foodservice operators, pastina acts as a golden opportunity; quick to prep, easy to batch, and endlessly versatile. This quick dish is an overall win for consistency and speed when using the right equipment - whether soup warmers, kettles, or automated sauce stations - operators can deliver bowls at scale without compromising quality.
As consumer demand continues to grow, simple yet comforting recipes like pastina drive a hard bargain: low labor, high-margin potential that champions across menus. With the right tools, operators can capitalize on this trend efficiently - and ride the wave long after it peaks on socials.
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