Baby Meatball Soup

Nanny’s Baby Meatball Soup

by Sherlyn Accorsi, Mary’s granddaughter

As a child walking into my grandmother’s kitchen and seeing my grandmother’s 30 plus year-old aluminum baking sheets lined with wax paper spread out over her kitchen table always made my eyes light up like it was Christmas morning.  Wax paper lined sheets meant one thing, she was about to make my favorite meal of all time, her baby meatball soup.  I will never forget watching her knead the meat with her hands as she added the perfect combination of breadcrumbs and salt and pepper without once using any measurements.  As a child, I stood in amazement watching her pick up precise dime size pieces of meatball mix each and every time and roll them into perfectly proportioned meatballs in 2 split seconds.  Within no time the baking sheets were piled full with meatballs.  I will never forget the day she taught me how to roll the perfect baby meatball.  Little did I know there was an exact science and precision to her method.  And although she corrected my technique more times than I care to admit, she did so with so much patience and love.  I still vividly remember that afternoon, I think about it every single time I roll a meatball. That day holds a very special memory in my heart.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Make meatball mixture:

in a large bowl mix meats together

add salt and pepper, Parmesan cheese

add egg and breadcrumbs.  Mix together with your hands. 

Have a small bowl of warm water set to the side. 

Pat your hands with a little bit of warm water

roll a bit of the meat mixture together in the size of a large marble.  

Remember to pat your hands in between to give the meatballs a

smooth finish.  Place finished meatballs on a flat baking sheet. 

After 3-4 minutes in the oven shake the bottom of the baking sheet 

to have the meatballs turn to cook on all sides.  Repeat every few minutes. Cook until a light brown color approximately 8 minutes. 

Warm chicken stock in a large sauce pot.  Add a little salt and pepper to season while warming. If you purchased frozen spinach, thaw then cook in the microwave for 1:45 minutes, then touch to see if the interior is completely thawed.  If cooking spinach in a pan, add a little salt, flip while cooking, then remove to cool. 

To strain, place the spinach on a small plate with another plate stacked on top.  Press the plates together to squeeze all the water out of the spinach.  

Bring a small sauce pan ⅓ full of water to a boil, add salt to flavor water. 

Cook pastini in the water for approximately 4-5 minutes until very al dente, (¾ of the way cooked.  I do this so the pastini doesn't absorb too much stock). Drain pastini and add to stock.  

Chop the spinach if there are large pieces.  Cut open and taste a meatball to ensure it’s cooked and ready.  Drop them into the broth.  Add a little salt and pepper to season.  Cook for 15 minutes or so at a slow boil and serve with Parmesan cheese.  

Serves 4-5.

Cooking tip: like many soups, the flavor of the soup intensifies if cooked early in the day, refrigerated, then reheated for dinner.