Italian Wedding Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Meatballs
1/2 lb ground chuck
1/2 lb ground pork
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon parsley
1 egg
Soup
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups fresh spinach, cleaned, stems removed and cut into strips
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon bouquet garni
1 teaspoon chicken soup base or 1 chicken bouillon cube
4 ounces orzo pasta or 4 ounces small shell pasta
1/4 cup grated romano cheese or 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

For the meatballs, combine all the meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix until well-blended.
Form into tiny meatballs, about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of meat per meatball. Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring the stock to a low boil and add the spinach. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the meatballs to the hot stock along with the garlic, bouquet garni and soup base (or bouillon cube).
Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the cheese and serve immediately.
Note that the meatballs can be made ahead of time, just heat them in the stock until heated through.