Okay, I've been neglecting this place because I haven't been in a cooking "mood" lately. But I'm starting to feel like getting in some steaming, hearty soups before the last bit of cold weather leaves us. I went to a Grand Opening of a Tuesday Morning store and found 2 Rachael Ray cookbooks for $10... this recipe came out of her first one and it's pretty tasty and the kids like it!
1 pound lean ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 med. spanish onion, chopped, plus 1/4 cup onion minced
Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 pinches ground nutmeg
3--15oz. cans chicken broth
1/2 cup ditalini noodles
A handful of chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 375*F or a nonstick skillet to medium/hi heat.
Combine meat, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic powder, the miched onion, salt, and pepper. Form 1/2 inch mini meatballs and place on a nonstick cookie sheet or drop into preheated nonstick skillet and cover pan with loose foil. Bake or cook onthe stovetop for 12 minutes to brown balls. If you are using stovetop method, give the pan a shake every now and then to rotate the balls and brown them evenly.
While meatballs are cooking, saute chopped carrot, celery, onion, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat in a soup pot or deep frying pan. Sprinkle vegetables with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes. Add broth and trun heat up to high. When broth boils, drop in ditalinin. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook 8-10 minutes until pasta is al dente. Drop in meatballs and parsley and serve with crusty bread and a salad.
