Mini Meatball Soup With Broken Spaghetti and Escarole

This recipe aired Jan 6, 2014 on the Rachel Ray show. Pair this soup with warmed Ciabatta bread. The soft inside soaks up the amazing soup while the crust remains thick and crunchy. It's absolutely wonderful together. Leftovers are even better!

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs  meatloaf mixture (1/2 pound each of ground beef, veal and pork)
•  salt & pepper
• 1  cup  panko  breadcrumbs
• 1⁄2 cup milk
•  flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
• 3 -4  tablespoons onions, grated
• 4  garlic cloves, divided (2 finely chopped, 2 sliced)
• 1  egg, lightly beaten
• 2  tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 1⁄2 lb  whole wheat spaghetti, broken into thirds
• 1  large onion, chopped
• 3  grates nutmeg
• 1  large escarole, cleaned and coarsely chopped
• 2  quarts  chicken stock
• 1  parmesan cheese, rind

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400*F.
2. In a large bowl, season meat with salt and pepper.
3. In a small bowl, moisten Panko with milk and then add to meat.
4. Add parsley, cheese, grated onion, 2 cloves chopped garlic, egg and a fat drizzle of olive oil to meat bowl, and mix well with your hands to combine.
5. Roll walnut-sized meatballs and bake until crisp and cooked through, about 12-15 minutes. (I used a spring release cookie dough scoop).
6. In soup pot over medium--high heat, add butter and melt. Add uncooked pasta and toast until fragrant and toasty; season with salt and pepper. Remove spaghetti and reserve.
7. Add olive oil, a turn of the pan, and add chopped onions, 2 cloves sliced garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook to tender, 10 minutes.
8. Add escarole and wilt; season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
9. Add stock and cheese rind and bring soup to a low boil.
10. Add pasta back to soup and cook to tender.
11. Add mini meatballs and serve.