Italian Wedding Soup
I made this Italian North American soup for a family party, and since then the fam has clamoured for it again and again. Forming the meatballs takes time; they must be small enough to fit on a soup spoon. I usually turn on the TV and watch my favourite show while forming the meatballs. Acini de pepe means peppercorn and indeed, the pasta in this soup is about the size of a peppercorn. You may use pastini as a substitute. I never cook pasta in my soup as it tends to soak up too much broth. I cook and store pasta separately from the soup. Doing so also makes it easier to dole out the desired amount of pasta into each bowl before ladling in the soup.
Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb meat loaf mix (or a combination of ground beef, pork and veal)
- 1 small onion, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced in food processor with 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
- 10 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 cup acini de pepe pasta, cooked according to package directions
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the meat, onion, garlic, egg, salt, parsley, bread crumbs and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Using a measuring teaspoon, scoop up a small amount of meat and roll into a tiny meatball.
- Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Place meatballs on baking sheets. Bake in oven 10 to 12 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer meatballs to paper-towel-lined plates to drain. Pat each meatball with a paper towel to remove any remaining grease.
- In a large pot, over high heat, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add meatballs. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes. Add spinach and heat through. Serve in bowls over acini de pepe, garnished with Parmesan cheese.
Drink Suggestion:
Chianti Classico is always a nice choice.
Quench Food and Drink Magazine 2014, www.quench.me