italian wedding soup

Based on Ina Garten's recipe from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics (2008)


Meatballs:
Combine in a bowl:
1.25 pounds ground chicken or turkey
3 garlic chicken bratwursts, casings removed
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (one hot dog bun does the trick)
0.25 cup dried parsley leaves
0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese
0.25 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
4 Tablespoons milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
0.5 teaspoon black pepper
(2-3 cloves garlic if plain sausage or bratwursts are used)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  
Drop bite-size meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with foil or parchment paper.  
Bake for 20 minutes until cooked through and lightly browned.
Use about 40 meatballs in the soup, save the rest for another meal!


Soup:
In heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
Saute about 5 minutes, until softened.


Add:
10 cups chicken stock
0.5 cup dry white wine
Bring to a boil, then simmer.


Add:
1 cup small pasta (kids like alphabets!)
Cook 6-8 minutes until pasta is tender.


Add:
up to 0.25 cup minced fresh dill
Add the meatballs.
Stir in 12 ounces fresh washed spinach, until wilted.


YUM!!  Tastes even better over the next couple days.