Meatballs:
- 1 small onion, grated
- 2 tablespoons any dried parsley or 1/3 cup fresh chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 slice fresh bread torn into small pieces or use a food processor
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1lb ground lean ground beef
- black pepper
Soup:
- 1 cup dried Acini di pepe pasta (tiny bead-shaped pasta, can be found at Lowes Foods or SuperTarget)
- 12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 pound frozen chopped spinach
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
- Salt and pepper
To make the meatballs: Stir the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese, beef and pork. Using 1 1/2 teaspoons for each, shape the meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.
To make the soup: Boil pasta according to package directions. Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and spinach and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 8 minutes. Whisk the eggs and cheese in a medium bowl to blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the moving broth, stirring gently with a fork to form thin strands of egg, about 1 minute. Add cooked pasta and boil for and additional minute.
Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. Finish soup with parmesan cheese if desired.
