Italian Wedding soup, also known as Minestra Maritata, means “married soup” and the name can be a bit confusing. I thought it was a special soup served at Italian weddings but in fact, the name refers to the perfect marriage of the soup ingredients most especially the combination of meat and greens in a flavorful broth.
Minestra Maritata is said to come from an ancient Roman custom and is a traditional Neapolitan soup. It is a complete meal served with or without pasta and can be accompanied by bread, salad and desert. The meatballs can be made of beef, turkey and/or pork, the leafy greens are either escarole or curley endive - both hardy lettuces which are best served cooked and are perfect for soups. The pasta can be Pastina, Orzo, or Risi - any tiny pasta will do.
MINESTRA MARITATA (ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP)
Soup:
3 qts. Chicken Broth
One head of escarole or curly endive lettuce
2 eggs, beaten well
2 Tb parmigiano reggiano cheese
Salt and Pepper
Meatballs (see recipe below)
1/2 package Pastina, *cooked (Pastina: tiny star shaped pastas)
Meatballs:
One pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
one small grated onion
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped well
one egg, beaten
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
one slice of fresh bread cut or torn into tiny pieces
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese
Combine all meatball ingredients together in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Make one inch sized meatballs. Place on baking sheet. Let chill for 30 minutes.
For the soup:
Bring broth to boil in large pot over medium heat. Place meatballs and escarole/endive into pot and simmer about 8-10 minutes until the meatballs are cooked and the lettuce is tender. Turn off the heat.
Whisk the eggs and cheese in a bowl to carefully blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion and while the soup is swirling, drizzle the egg mixture into the broth and gently stir with a fork so that the egg mixture becomes thin strands - about 1-2 minutes. Add about one cup cooked pasta as desired. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve soup in shallow bowls and sprinkle with parmigiano reggiano cheese. Serve with crusty garlic bread and a tossed green salad.
*Note: Cook the Pastina earlier in the day or the night before so that you can chill it and it can firm up.
