Chicken Soup with Stars and Meatballs

Ingredients

• •⅔ cup finely grated fresh Parmesan
• •¾ pound ground turkey or lean ground beef
• •½ small onion
• •½ cup fresh bread crumbs
• •½ cup spinach
• •1 large egg
• •1 to taste Coarse salt
• •2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• •8 ounces star-shape pasta
• •4 cups chicken stock or broth

Cooking Instructions

1. 1.

   1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

   10 min

2. 2.

   2. Set aside 4 tablespoons of the cheese.

   1 min

3. 3.

   3. Combine the ground meat, onion, bread crumbs, spinach, egg, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the remaining cheese in a medium bowl. Shape into 30 meatballs, each 1 inch in diameter.

   15 min

4. 4.

   4. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Reduce heat to medium-low; add the meatballs and cook, turning, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a large saucepan.

   10 min

5. 5.

   5. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions; drain.

   8 min

6. 6.

   6. Add the chicken stock to the browned meatballs and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the meatballs are just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pasta and salt to taste.

   5 min

7. 7.

   7. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with the reserved cheese.

   2 min