ButterYum’s Italian Wedding Soup

To make the pasta:
Cook pasta in a pot of salted water until al dente (according to package instructions for al dente). Drain pasta and rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and stir to coat; set aside until needed.

To make the meatballs:
In a skillet over medium-high heat, saute the onions and a pinch of salt in olive oil until golden brown; stirring frequently. Add minced garlic and stir constantly until very fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit before adding it into a large bowl with the remaining meatball ingredients. Mix well.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Form meat mixture into roughly eighty 1-inch meatballs (I use the #100 scoop) and place on a greased or parchment lined sheet pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and cool (no tasting at this point because they’re not quite cooked through yet).

To make the soup base:
Bring chicken stock to a gentle boil and add carrots, celery and partially baked meatballs. Cook for 10-15 minutes until carrots soften. Add chopped spinach and cook an additional 5 minutes.

To serve:
Keep pasta and soup separate until serving so the pasta doesn’t get mushy. Place about 1/4 cup cooked pasta in a bowl and top with a hearty ladle or two of soup (8 meatballs per serving). Garnish with sliced scallions, chopped parsley, and/or grated Parmesan or Romano cheese if desired.

Note: Make a double batch and freeze some for a meal later. Simply freeze separately the chicken stock, precooked meatballs and precooked pasta drizzled with olive oil. When you need a quick meal, just heat everything up, add some sauteed carrots and celery, and chopped fresh spinach.