On the show I substituted potatoes for pastina because I love them. The sauce of carrot juice adds bright color as well as natural sweetness. In The Tra Vigne Cookbook, the recipe calls for a small pasta such as pastina or riso.
Bring the stock to a low simmer in a saucepan. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic and cook briefly until light brown. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, lower the heat to medium, and cook until the onion is soft but not brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of the stock and bring to a boil. Add the pastina, stir well, and reduce the heat to maintain a slow simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
Simmer, ladling in the stock 1/2 cup at a time as the previous addition is absorbed and stirring occasionally to prevent the pastina from sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the pasta is about three-fourths done, about 10 minutes. Add the peas and the remaining stock and cook until the peas are tender and the pasta is al dente, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 1 tablespoon of the butter, the oregano, thyme, Parmesan, and 3 tablespoons of the bacon. Stir well. The consistency should be quite loose, like a thick soup.
During the last few minutes of cooking, warm the carrot juice and spice rub in a small pan over medium heat. Do not allow it to get too hot or solids will form. Whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter until just melted.
To serve, pour about 2 tablespoons carrot juice onto each of 4 warmed dinner plates. Spoon the pastina into the center of the plates, garnish with a light sprinkling of the remaining bacon, and serve immediately.
Chef's Note: Plates are better than soup bowls or rimmed soup plates here, because they allow the carrot juice to spread out around the pastina.
