Minestra Maritata (Italian Wedding Soup)

1. In a large mixing bowl combine the meatball ingredients (except oil) and mix thoroughly. Shape the meat mixture into ¾ to 1-inch diameter meatballs. Bring the oil to the ripple stage in a frying pan and fry meatballs in batches (don’t crowd the cooking meatballs) to a rich brown, 3 to 5 minutes (they may still be pink on the inside but that’s okay, they’ll finish cooking in the soup). Add additional olive oil as necessary. As the meatballs cook, set them on aside on a paper towel-lined dish. You should end up with about 30 meatballs.
2. For the soup, in a large pot over medium heat, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the carrots, escarole, oregano, salt and black pepper to taste.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the meatballs. Cook the meatballs and carrots until the carrots are softened.
4. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls or into a large bowl for family service and serve accompanied by freshly grated parmesan cheese and crusty Italian or French bread.

Note: if you have trouble finding escarole, you can substitute spinach or arugula (rocket).