Writing is something I truly love doing. Along with writing Rosie’s Riveting Recipes, I write contemporary romance novels under the name Marina Martindale. Each of my novels includes a scene in which a character cooks something wonderful, and I include the recipe at the back of the book.
This recipe is from my first contemporary romance novel, The Reunion. I love Italian wedding soup, so Larry, a seventeen-year-old aspiring chef, has prepared it for his ailing brother, saying it’s his grandmother’s recipe. In reality, however, this recipe is my own creation. It comes from a combination of several different Italian wedding soup recipes, along with a little trial and error.
Gayle Martin
Larry’s ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP
For the meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef*
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 egg
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and knead together like a meatloaf. Roll into small meatballs, about 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until brown. Set aside.
For the soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium sized yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced (optional)
- 2 stalks celery, sliced (optional)
- I package of fresh mushrooms (optional)
- 10 cups, (2 1/2 quarts) chicken stock
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Chardonnay)
- 1 egg, well beaten
- 1 cup small pasta (such as stars or small sea shells)
- 2 teaspoons salt (if desired)
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon dill
- 12 ounces fresh spinach, washed and trimmed**
While the meatballs are baking saute the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, (if desired), and fresh mushrooms, (if desired), in olive oil in a stockpot for approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Add chicken stock and white wine and bring to a boil. Once the soup mixture is boiling beat egg in a small mixing bowl with a whisk until slightly frothy. Pour egg slowly and incrementally into soup mixture, whisking the soup mixture continuously until all of the egg has been added. Add pasta, salt, (if desired) and pepper and allow mixture to simmer for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until pasta is soft. Add meatballs and dill. Cover and simmer on low for another 10 minutes. Add spinach and simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes before serving. Once soup is ladled into bowls top with grated Parmesan cheese.
* Ground chicken or ground turkey may also be used, or 1/2 pound of your favorite ground meat can be mixed with 1/2 of ground pork.
**Frozen or canned spinach may be substituted for fresh spinach
Rosie’s Riveting Recipes includes many delicious historic soup recipes. Please click on the link for a free preview.
