Ingredients: Difficulty Rating: Easy
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef (some people prefer 1/3 pound beef, 1/3 pound pork, and1/3 pond chicken)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2-3 medium garlic cloves, minced (depending on your love for garlic), plus 2 medium clove garlic, minced for the soup
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup grated freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano
- ½ cup unflavored bread crumbs (I use Panko because of their lightness, you can use regular unseasoned breadcrumbs if you prefer, with the Panko I use an extra ¼ cup and pulse them in the blender just slightly)
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 quarts chicken stock or broth – low sodium
- 2 cups ditalini, tubettini (both are small tubes), or conchigliette (small shell) pasta – give whole grain pasta a chance. It goes well with this soup
- 1 pound fresh escarole or Tuscan Kale (very well washed), coarsely ripped
Preparation:
In a medium size bowl combine meat, 2 minced garlic cloves, grated cheese, bread crumbs, egg, salt and pepper. Don’t overdo the salt, let people decide how much they want on their own.Use your hands to combine the above ingredients, but mix them together lightly, without squishing them in your hands, or it will become too dense
After the meat is well mixed, roll tiny meatballs, about the diameter of a nickel.
In a large pot over medium heat 2 Tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot add the meatballs (don't over pack them, if you need to do half and then the 2nd half, that's fine). Toss the meatballs around until they're brown - then put them in a small bowl. Don't keep them over the heat for more than 3 - 4 minutes, remember they're small. When they're finished, scrape the meat off the bottom of the pot and add rest of the oil. When the oil is hot add the carrots, and celery, stirring occasionally. After about 4 minutes add the onions and remaining 2 cloves of minced garlic. Stir often, so the garlic doesn’t burn. Add some salt and freshly ground pepper. When the onions are translucent, stirring to ensure nothing burns. .
Add the broth, bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and carefully add the meatballs. Add the pasta, cover and simmer soup until the pasta is cooked, it should be about 10 minutes. Drop the escarole into the soup, and stir. Once the escarole is wilted, the soup is done.
Serve with extra grated cheese, salt and freshly ground pepper and a delicious crusty bread.
Note: You can cook the pasta separately and add it to the soup, it’s up to you. But make sure you simmer the soup long enough for the meatballs to cook.
