*By: Linz Bordner*
No other soup says romance like Italian Wedding Soup. Mini meatballs, delicate broth, and whimsical round pasta are the standouts of this timeless dish.
Here is a great recipe from one of my favorite chef’s, Giada de Laurentiis, who is a trusted source when it comes to any Italian fare. We added acini de pepe pasta to the recipe because, well, we love pasta! if you have a hard time finding acini de pepe, then orzo will work fine too!
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
Meatballs:
· 1 small onion, grated
· 1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
· 1 large egg
· 1 teaspoon minced garlic
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1 slice fresh white bread, crust trimmed, bread torn into small pieces
· ½ cup grated Parmesan
· 8 ounces ground beef
· 8 ounces ground pork
· Freshly ground black pepper
Soup:
· 12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
· 1 cup dry acini de pepe or orzo pasta
· 1-pound curly endive, coarsely chopped (or substitute 1-pound of escarole)
· 2 large eggs
· 2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
· Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
1. To make the meatballs: Stir the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in cheese, beef and pork. Using 1 ½ teaspoons for each, shape the meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.
2. To make the soup: Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the pasta, meatballs and curly endive and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the curly endive is tender, 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. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. Top with parmesan cheese if desired.
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