Last weekend I went to a great pizza place with my nephew and he ordered a meatball pizza. Why didn’t I think of that? What a genius idea! It made me think of other great dishes that have meatballs, and I vowed then and there to revisit some of those recipes.
Meatballs are the ultimate convenience food. They can go into anything from a basic pasta dish to meatball subs and a favorite Asian meatball stir-fry that my son makes all the time. Of course you can buy premade meatballs at all grocery stores now, but I love to make my own, adding exactly what I like and, most of all, knowing exactly what I’m going to eat. Make enough to freeze; you’ll be glad you did on a busy day.
A favorite recipe in our house is Italian Wedding Soup. It entertains small children and grownups alike, because it has little meatballs in it. Very cool! I researched the name and found out it was sort of a mistranslation into English and should really be “married soup” because of how well the taste of vegetables and meat marry together. That must be true because my husband ate every bite and went back for seconds and he never eats a vegetable on purpose!
I admit that my recipe is a mix of my favorites. Some recipes call for beans and others call for pasta. I hate making such major decisions, so I use both! The green leafy vegetable is also your choice. Escarole and kale are traditional, but spinach works too. I read a recipe from a trendy chef who added beet tops, so if you have those hanging around, toss them in. I made turkey meatballs because I like them best, but ground beef is fine. Adding Italian sausage would probably be marvelous. This recipe is easy to half; freeze the extra meatballs. Whatever you choose, you’ll be delighted with the results. Add some nice crusty bread to the menu and serve a light sorbet for dessert and you have yourself a very worthy little dinner party. Happy weekend!
Ingredients
Meatballs
1 lb ground meat- turkey, chicken, or beef
¼ cup Panko or bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 Tbsp olive oil
Splash of white wine (about 2 Tbsp)
1 tsp each, salt and oregano
½ tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
Soup
1 onion, minced
2 carrots, sliced (about 1 cup)
2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
Optional: cabbage, about 1 cup chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
½ cup white wine
½ tsp dried basil
15 oz can navy or cannellini beans, drained
2 cups loosely packed leafy greens, I used kale
1 cup of any small dried pasta
Grated Parmesan cheese for topping
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl add ALL ingredients for meatballs.
Use your hands to gently combine ingredients and roll into small meatballs, about ½ inch each.
Place on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake for about 30 minutes until lightly browned.
While meatballs bake, sauté onions, carrots, celery, and cabbage if using, in olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add broth, wine, basil, and beans. (You may add more broth or water if your soup is too thick.)
Add leafy greens and pasta.
Cook until pasta is done to desired consistency.
Add meatballs and heat through.
Serve topped with cheese.
* Note – When you grate cheese down to the rind, don’t throw it away - freeze it. I have a freezer bag of cheese rinds that I add to soups for lots of extra flavor. It won’t melt into the soup, so remove before serving.
