Crab Broth with Pastina

6 c water
1 c white wine
1/4 onion, chopped (optional)
5-6 sprigs fresh parley (optional)
5-6 whole black peppercorns (optional)
1/2 c pastina
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste
2t chopped parsley

Clean the crab. Chop the meat and set it aside. Put the shells in a large pot with the water and wine. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids. You need 6 cups of broth. If you have more, simmer it over medium-high heat until it is reduced to 6 cups. If you have less, add water to make 6 cups.

Bring the broth to a boil.Add the pastina and stir well. Bring the broth back to a boil, cover, and boil gently for about 10 minutes, until the pastina is very tender. Add the pepper and salt to taste. Add the cut up crab meat. Let the soup just come back to a simmer. Ladle the soup into 4 bowls and serve with a sprinkle of parsley. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Notes:

Pastina has always been comfort food to me. This dish has such a great warm-you-up quality. The black pepper compliments the crab flavor perfectly.