| Acini di pepe | |
| Alternate Name: | Pastina |
| Country: | Italy |
| Type: | Pasta |
Italian: Acini di pepe (pronounced as /it/;) are a type of pasta. Italian: Acini is the plural of Italian: acino whose root is the Latin word acinus. In both Latin and Italian, the word means 'grape' or 'grape-stones', with the "stones of a grape" being the seeds of the grape. Italian: Acini di pepe then translates into 'seeds of a pepper'. They were and are known as a symbol of fertility, which is why they are used in Italian wedding soup. They are also sometimes referred to as pastina (Italian for 'tiny dough'); however, some pasta makers distinguish pastina as smaller than Italian: acini di pepe. The individual pieces usually resemble tiny cylinders about 1mm, or less, in each dimension.
Italian: Acini di pepe are often used in Italian wedding soup. Frog's eye salad is an American cold salad that combines the pasta with whipped topping, marshmallows, pineapple and mandarin oranges.