disable dropcap
- 1 large natural chicken (preferably 4 to 5 pounds)
- 1 onion, peeled and halved
- 1 carrot, peeled
- 2 whole ribs celery
- 1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and very finely diced
- 1 bay leaf
- Gray salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound pastina
- 1/2 cup packed mustard greens or other greens
- Parmesan cheese, for grating
- Preheat oven to 300° F.
- Rinse the chicken well and place it in a deep ovenproof roasting pan with the onion, carrot, celery, tomato, and bay leaf. Add enough cold water to come about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the bird. Bring to a simmer, using two burners if necessary. Then cover, place in the oven, and braise until the chicken is completely cooked, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add the pastina and cook until done, about 14 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and turn it over in the broth to cool. When it's cool, remove the chicken from the broth, shred it, and strain the broth into a stockpot. Bring the broth to a simmer, season it with salt and pepper, then add the cooked pastina. Add the chicken and greens, and cook until the greens are wilted and the chicken is heated through.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, grate the Parmesan over it, and finish with a twist of pepper.
