Meatballs soup

 ingredients:

1 tablespoon of olive oil

meatballs

1 beaten egg

½ cup of cream undermill

1/2 cup of Italian breadcrumbs

¼ cup of fine grated parmesan cheese  powder

3 kno-blissful cloves, finely chopped

½ teaspoon of pepper

½ pounds 80% lean ground beef

½ pounds ground pork

Soup

1 tablespoon butter

1 yellow onion, diced

½ cup diced peppers. (Red, green, or both)

3  garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cups chicken broth

1 ½ cups canned beef broth to replace chicken broth

2 (14.5 ounces)) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 teaspoon hot sauce optional

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ cup  cream

2 cups spinach

1 cup dried pasta I used Cavatappi

Spices

1 teaspoon EACH: dried oregano, basil, parsley, mustard Powder

1 pinch of red pepper flakes

Salt/pepper to taste

For serving

8 oz. Ricotta cheese

½ cup Parmesan cheese

Red pepper flakes

 Instructions:

 For the meatballs

Combine the beaten egg and  cream in a large bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and stir for 1-2 minutes until a paste forms. This is called “breading” and makes the meatballs super tasty and tender. Add Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper and stir to combine.Add the ground beef and  pork and mix gently. Don’t overwork the meat, we want tender meatballs.

Roll the meat into 1-inch balls.

Heat  olive oil in a 4.5-quart stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Fry the meatballs in batches for 2-3 minutes, adding a drizzle of olive oil during cooking and reducing the heat slightly if necessary. The inside of the meatballs  finish cooking in the soup.Remove the meatballs and set aside.

For the soup

Place the diced tomatoes in a large bowl and puree them with a hand blender until the desired consistency. If you wish, you can also leave some tomato pieces. (Alternatively, you can  use a blender.) Booking.

Melt the butter in the same  pot over medium-low heat.Add the chopped onions and cook for 10 minutes, a little longer than normal as this releases some  sugar to counteract the acidity of the tomatoes. Stir every few minutes.

Add the peppers and cook for 4 minutes. Add  garlic, tomato paste, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Cook for 1 minute.Add  chicken broth, beef broth and tomatoes.

Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. You can also simmer it longer to counteract the flavor and make it thicker.

Stir the soup and bring it to a gentle boil.Add the meatballs and noodles and let everything cook gently. Cook until pasta is cooked through; Check the packaging for cooking time. It may take a little longer as we cook lightly. Taste a noodle before serving it.

Reduce heat to low and add cream, then add  spinach and cook until  wilted, about 1 minute.

Pour into serving bowls and top with ricotta, parmesan and red pepper flakes. (If you prefer, you can heat the ricotta in the microwave first.)

Enjoy