Roughly chop the carrots, celery, and onion. Place veggies into a large stock pot with the garlic cloves.

Add 12 cups of water and Better Than Bouillon paste. Whisk until the paste is fully dissolved.

Raise the heat to bring to a rolling boil.

Place the lid on the pot, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until the carrots are nice and tender.

Meanwhile, bring a smaller pot of salted water to a boil to cook the Pastina.

Boil the Pastina for 6 minutes then strain with a mesh strainer. Otherwise, because of the small size, the Pastina will fall through most colanders when draining.

Remove the vegetables and garlic from the broth and transfer to a blender, or in batches to a food processor. Add a ladle of broth to the vegetables and puree until very smooth.

Add the Pastina to the stock pot with the broth. Add the lemon juice.

Using the same mesh strainer, press the vegetable puree through the strainer with the back of a spoon into the pot. This will catch and remove any of the stringy celery pieces left behind from processing. You don't want these in the soup, especially for babies or those who may have trouble swallowing.

If adding chicken, shred or chop the meat and add it to the pot with everything else.

Taste and season with additional salt one teaspoon at a time until the desired level is reached. Add freshly ground pepper, if desired. (see notes below)

Keep the lid on the pot to prevent the broth from evaporating as the Pastina will soak up a good amount. This is a desired effect to make it more "hearty" during periods of illness. If you'd like, you can keep the Pastina separate and ladle a scoop in to each bowl before adding broth. Over time, I found it the separation unnecessary and just combine it all at once when cooking.

Serve with freshly grated cheese, warm Italian bread, and plenty of cozy blankets on the couch until everyone feels better.

Stores well up to 7 days in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.