Classic Italian Wedding Soup with Homemade Mini Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef (85% lean)
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 large egg
• 3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
• 3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
• 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 3 (14.5-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup acini di pepe or orzo pasta
• 4 cups fresh escarole or baby spinach, roughly chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the egg, 2 of the minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix gently with your hands just until everything is combined. Do not overwork the mixture or the meatballs will turn out dense.

2. 2

   Roll the meat mixture into balls about 3/4 inch in diameter, roughly the size of a large marble. You should get around 45 to 50 meatballs. Arrange them in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until they are just set and lightly golden on the outside. They will finish cooking in the soup, so do not worry about cooking them all the way through at this stage.

3. 3

   While the meatballs bake, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes until the vegetables have softened and the onion is translucent. Add the remaining minced garlic clove and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.

4. 4

   Pour in all three cans of chicken broth and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the broth to a gentle boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Taste the broth and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.

5. 5

   Add the baked meatballs to the pot, then stir in the pasta. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender and the meatballs are cooked through.

6. 6

   Stir in the chopped escarole or spinach and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the greens are wilted and bright. Remove the pot from heat. Ladle the soup into bowls, then top each serving with the remaining Parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Serve immediately with crusty bread on the side.