First time I tried this soup was a few years ago and thought it would be beyond my skill range to ever attempt, however it is not only fairly simple it is also very quick; the taste is absolutely sensational, especially when paired with some garlic bread. Only problem I had was finding the right pasta, I've linked the stuff I used in the ingredients list, not because its better, but because its exactly what you need.
Ingredients
Meatballs
½ lb. ground beef
½ lb. ground pork
1 egg, beaten
½ cup Italian breadcrumbs, homemade is best
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, finely grated into a powder
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
⅓ cup fresh Parsley, roughly chopped
Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper
Soup
1 ¼ cups carrots, diced
1 ¼ cups yellow onion, diced
¾ cup celery, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
8 cups Chicken broth
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Salt/Pepper
¾ cup dry Acini De Pepe Pasta
8 oz. fresh Spinach
Instructions
Combine the meatball ingredients but don’t overwork the meat, you want tender meatballs.
Roll the meat into small balls, 1-inch at most, if you can get them smaller that's even better.
Heat a little olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Brown the meatballs in batches for 2-3 minutes. The inside of the meatball will finish cooking in the soup.
Remove the meatballs and set aside.
Add the onions, carrots, and celery and sauté for 5 minutes, until softened. I like to put half the Italian Seasoning on the vegetables at this time to kind of bake the flavor in.
Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute.
Add the chicken broth, the remaining Italian seasoning, and season with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the meatballs and pasta.
Simmer for 10 minutes, the meatballs should be cooked through by this point.
Stir in the spinach.
If you feel fancy, garnish with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese before serving.