Italian Wedding Soup

Meatballs

1/2 pound of ground sirloin

1/2 pound of ground pork

1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

1 large of egg

1/3 cup of seasoned dry breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon of chopped oregano

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Soup

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 medium of onion finely chopped

4 garlic cloves minced

1 carrot finely chopped

1 celery rib finely chopped

8 cups of low sodium chicken broth

1 bunch of escarole torn into bite-size pieces

1/3 cup of acini di pepe pasta

1 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1. Meatballs: Combine the ground sirloin, ground pork, cheese, egg, breadcrumbs, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl; mix well. Form the mixture into 36 meatballs.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add half the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 4-5 minutes. Transfer meatballs to a plate covered with paper towel to drain. Add the remaining meatballs to the skillet and repeat with the remaining meatballs.
3. Soup: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion, garlic, carrot and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7-8 minutes. Pour in the broth and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, add the escarole and pasta; simmer until greens are fairly tender, 10 minutes. Add the reserved meatballs, cover, return to a simmer and cook 5 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.