Pastina & Tomato Soup with Baby Meatballs and Spinach

This Pastina & Tomato soup with baby meatballs and spinach is the perfect comfort food to warm you up inside out! And @pomiusa ‘s basilicious crushed tomatoes really take it to the next level ? I love that their tetrapak’s are 100% recyclable and resealable so there’s no waste. You know Nonna would love that ?

Ingredients

For 4 Person(s)

For the meatballs:

1 pound meatloaf mix (veal, pork and beef)
1 large egg
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper as desired
extra virgin olive oil for frying

For the soup:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium carrots, cut into a 1/4 inch dice
1 medium onion cut into a 1/4 inch dice
2 celery ribs, cut into a 1/4 inch dice
1 13.8oz @pomiusa Basilicious crushed tomatoes tetrapak
8 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
8 ounces stelline pastina
5 cups fresh baby spinach
Grated cheese for sprinkling

Directions

In a large bowl combine all the meatball ingredients and mix with your hands until combined. Do not over mix
Roll about a teaspoon of meat into little meatballs. Set aside.
Fry the meatballs in extra virgin olive oil until they are just browned. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
Put a large stock pot over a medium-high flame and heat the oil.
Add the carrots, onions and celery to the pot and cook until the vegetables are soft and they begin to develop some color.
Add the crushed tomatoes to the pot and cook while stirring for 1 minute.
Add the water and bouillon cubes to the pot, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom or the pot.
Bring to a boil and add the meatballs to the soup.
Drop the Pastina into generously salted boiling water and cook until just Al dente.
Drain the Pastina and add it to the soup along with the spinach.
Cook until the spinach has wilted and serve in warm bowls with an extra sprinkle of grated cheese.