• Preheat oven to 375℉. Gather the ingredients for this recipe so you have everything close at hand on the counter or table. You’ll start with the meatballs, and then move on to the soup broth while the meatballs cook.

Prepare the Meatballs

• Place ground chicken and pork sausage in a large bowl. Add in a large egg, Italian bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix to combine.
  1 lb ground chicken, 1 lb ground pork sausage, 1 large egg, 3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs, 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Season the meat with the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. If the mixture seems too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of whole milk to moisten.
  2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons whole milk
• Form the meatballs using a spoon or a 3/4 oz scoop or smaller for uniform size. (Here I’ve used Vollrath’s purple scoop, size #40.) Roll into round balls with your hand.
• Place the meatballs in a greased oblong baking dish. (I prefer using a glass or ceramic baking dish for easier cleanup. You might also line the dish with aluminum foil, if desired.) This will make 40-45 small meatballs.

Bake the Meatballs

• Bake the meatballs in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned. The meatballs will cook even more when you add them to the soup later. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack until ready to use.

Prepare the Soup Ingredients

• While the meatballs bake, prepare the base ingredients for the soup. Using a cutting board and chef’s knife, peel and dice the carrots, celery, and onion. Mince the garlic.
  1 1/2 cups carrots, 1 1/2 cups celery, 1 1/2 cups sweet onion, 2 tablespoons garlic
• Roughly chop the fresh baby spinach. Set aside until ready to use.
  12 oz fresh baby spinach
• If using bouillon cubes to make the chicken/beef broth, go ahead and dissolve the cubes in boiling water.
  6 cubes chicken bouillon + 6 cups water

Make the Soffritto

• Pour extra virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot and heat over medium low heat. Add the diced carrots, celery, and sweet onion, and sauté for 4-5 minutes until translucent, stirring occasionally.
  3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Next, add the minced garlic, and stir to combine, cooking for an additional minute.
• Season the base with dried parsley and basil. Stir to combine. Make a hole in the center of the vegetables and add in the tomato paste. Stir it around and cook for 2-3 minutes, allowing it to lightly brown. Mix in with the rest of the vegetables.
  1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon basil, 2 tablespoons tomato paste

Add Liquids to the Soup

• Now it’s time to add the liquids, beginning with the white wine. Cook over medium-low heat until the wine has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
  1/2 cup white wine
• Then add in the chicken broth and beef broth, for a total of 10 cups. Bring this to a boil, then reduce heat.
  4 cubes beef bouillon + 4 cups water, 2 cups water
• If desired, add in the parmesan rinds at this time. Allow the soup to simmer for 10-12 minutes, giving plenty of time for the parmesan rinds to soften and season the soup.
  2 each Parmesan rinds
• At this point, you may remove the parmesan rinds from the soup and discard. Or once removed, you may slice the softened rind into small bites and return to the pot, adding even more cheesiness to the soup.

Finish the Soup

• Return the broth to a boil and add in the baked meatballs and ditalini pasta. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and lightly boil for 5-7 minutes.
  1 cup ditalini pasta
• The last step is to add the chopped baby spinach to the soup. Stir to combine. Simmer uncovered for another 1-2 minutes until the spinach has slightly wilted. Season the soup with red pepper flakes, along with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
  1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• To serve, ladle hot soup into individual bowls and garnish with freshly grated parmesan. This soup is best served the day it is made and will serve 8-10 people.
  1 cup freshly grated parmesan