Italian Wedding Soup

When I am looking for a great Italian recipe that is suitable for quick home cooking, I look no further than Fabio Viviani.  He may not be the most famous Italian chef but his recipes are always reliable, accurate and his stories are hilarious!  In addition to several cookbooks, he has an internet show called “Chow Cioa”.  This is a man who does not take himself too seriously.

An example: Did you know that Italian Wedding soup is named after the ‘marriage of vegetables with meatballs’, not a soup you serve at weddings in Italy?  As Fabio accounts “Nobody who gets married in Italy eats this soup at the wedding.  ‘Hey, let’s get married! I can’t wait to have meatballs!’ Are you nuts?”

When making this soup, I like to keep the meatballs very small.  I find the handiest way of making consistently small meatballs is to use a melon baller.

The other key in making soups with pasta, rice or any type of grain- once you add the grain, only cook the soup for the length of time it takes to cook the grain.  Consult the package directions and taste to ensure you don’t end up with soggy oversized pasta.

Italian Wedding Soup
Fabio’s Italian Kitchen

1/2 cup olice oil
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 lb lean ground beef
2 eggs
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
3 cups fresh baby spinach
3 quarts chicken stock
2 cups orzo pasta

Preheat oven to 375F.

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot and cook the carrots, onion and celery until soft and starting to caramelize, about 25 minutes.

While the vegetables saute, make the meatballs.  Mix the beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl.  Form into 1/2-inch balls and set on a baking sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Add the spinach to the sauteing vegetables and let it wilt.  Then add the chicken stock to the vegetables and cook over high heat until it is somewhat reduced.  Add the pasta to cook, and when the meatballs are ready, add them to the pot, too.

Boil 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper.