Make the meatballs the night before you want to have this soup and then putting it together in the morning is a breeze! I like to make a double batch of the meatballs so that I can put some in the freezer to use at a later date. You can add fresh or frozen spinach, whichever is more convenient, and if you have leftovers, this soup freezes well.
2-3cupsfresh baby spinach substitute 1 block of frozen spinach
2bay leaves
1½tspgarlic powder
¼tsp ground black pepper
¼cupacini di pepe pasta or similar small dry pasta
1-2tbspParmesan cheese rind(optional)
½cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated for garnishing the soup
Instructions
Meatballs:
I do this the night before I am going to make the soup but they can be prepared the same day.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Combine all the ingredients. Form small meatballs of uniform size and place them on the parchment paper.
Put the meatballs in the oven for 10-15 minutes, turning them over once during the cooking time. Remove the meatballs and cool completely if you are making them the night before. Put them in the fridge overnight.
Soup:
Put everything listed in the soup ingredients, except the spinach and pasta, into the slow cooker. Also add the cooked meatballs.
Cook on low for 7 hours or high for 4 hours.
Add the spinach and the pasta and cook for another hour.
Remove the bay leaves and the Parmesan rinds.
Serve soup topped with a spoonful of Parmesan cheese,
Notes
If you are using frozen spinach, thaw the spinach prior to adding it to the soup. When making the meatballs, I like to double the recipe and then freeze half the meatballs. Then the next time I want to prepare this soup, the meatballs are already made which makes putting this soup together a breeze.