Rich and savory tomato broth filled with homemade meatballs, ditalini pasta, veggies, garlic, spinach and Italian spices. Great served with shaved parmesan, torn basil and warm bread!
Optional: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, fresh chopped parsley or basil
Instructions
Meatballs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
For the meatballs, combine the lightly beaten egg, onion, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and garlic.
1 large egg, ¼ cup yellow onion, 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, Pinch of red pepper flakes, ½ tsp. Kosher salt, 2 cloves garlic
Add in the ground beef, Parmigiano Reggiano and bread crumbs and lightly mix ingredients together.
1 lb. ground beef, ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, ⅓ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
Roll the mixture into walnut size meatballs (should make approx. 25-30). Place on the prepared baking sheet and coat the tops of the meatballs with cooking spray.Pro Tip: a small cookie scoop or melon baller makes quick work of making meatballs!
Bake for approx. 15-17 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through.
Soup
While the meatballs cook you can start the soup. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery.
2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 medium onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup celery
Sauté, stirring frequently until the vegetable are tender (about 10 minutes).
Stir in the beef base, seasonings, salt and pepper.
1 tsp. Italian seasoning, ¾ tsp. each Kosher salt and black pepper, 2 tsp. beef base
Add the beef broth, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
48 oz. beef broth or stock, 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, 15 oz can crushed tomatoes, 1 bay leaf
Add in the 1 heaping cup pasta and simmer uncovered until the pasta is al dente (approx. 10 minutes).
1 cup ditalini pasta (heaping cup)
Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings if necessary (I like to add 1-2 teaspoon sugar at this point to cut the acidity of the tomatoes).
optional - sugar
Reduce the heat to low and add in the chopped spinach and baked meatballs. Lightly simmer for 5-10 minutes.
4 oz. fresh baby spinach – chopped
Remove the bay leaf and discard.
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped fresh parsley or basil and large shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano, Optional: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, fresh chopped parsley or basil
Storing
Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
The pasta will soak up some of the liquid while in the fridge. You may need to add some water or beef broth when reheating.
Notes
Side Dishes: this Meatball Soup is pretty much a complete meal! Just add some warm crusty bread like ciabatta, Italian, garlic knots or breadsticks.Subs for Ditalini: any short tube pasta will work here. Or you can use:
elbow macaroni
cavatappi
rotini
orzo
Using Frozen Meatballs: If you are short on time you can absolutely use your favorite frozen meatball. Use about 20-25 meatballs. Cook in the oven per package instructions to heat through and then add to the soup. Recipe Tips:
Coarsely grind your parmesan in a food processor or blender for amazing parmesan flavor in the meatballs.
Use an 85% lean ground beef for the meatballs; it has enough fat to be flavorful, but won't make your meatball soup greasy.
Don't skip the beef base, it adds deep flavor to the broth.
Taste the broth for seasoning (and acidity balance by adding sugar) before adding the meatballs and spinach.
It will look like a mountain of spinach, but it cooks way down. Make sure to use all 4oz (about 3 generous cups).