Recipe: Italian Wedding Soup with Meatballs and Spinach for Rosemary

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP WITH MEATBALLS AND SPINACH
Zuppa maritata
Naples - Campania
Serves 4 - 6

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground veal or pork
1/4 cup bread crumbs (commercial, or grate your own from stale Italian bread)
1 egg
1 T parsley, finely chopped
1/2 clove garlic, minced (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups spinach, chopped
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Combine the ground meat, bread crumbs, egg, parsley, minced garlic and salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well and form into tiny meat balls. Place meatballs on a baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes at 350F, until brown. (Optionally, you can saut the meatballs in olive oil until brown and procede with next paragraph, or bring your chicken stock to a boil, add the meatballs, simmer for 20 minutes, add the spinach, cook until tender, stir in the cheese and serve). About ten minutes before serving, bring the chicken broth to a boil, add the spinach and cook until tender. Add the meatballs and return soup to a simmer. Stir in the Pecorino cheese and serve.