One Pot Spaghetti & Meatball Soup

A classic pasta dish made into a comforting soup!

A little behind on posting this week because life has been 100 percent chaos lately. This recipe is definitely not one I would make amongst the chaos because it’s a little labor of love. It has a lot of ingredients and the tedious process of meatballs being made is also part of this recipe. I’m not sure about you, but I only like homemade meatballs, so there are no shortcuts here on that. I did, however, change the method up slightly. I have never cooked meatballs in sauce because I’m always nervous about them falling apart or not being cooked all the way through. I prefer to bake mine and add later and that’s what I did here.

What you need:

For the Soup:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

• 1 Tbsp. butter

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped

• 4 to 6 minced garlic cloves

• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

• 1 can (14 oz.) crushed tomatoes

• 1 jar (24 oz.) marinara or pasta sauce

• 7 cups low sodium chicken broth

• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste

• 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

• 1 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar

• 1 Tbsp. dried basil

• 1 tsp. dried parsley

• 1 tsp. dried oregano

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 tsp. cornstarch

• 8 oz. spaghetti, broken into about 2-inch pieces

Add Later:

• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

• 1 cup half and half

For the Meatballs:

• 1 large egg

• 2 slices white sandwich bread, toasted, crust removed, diced

• 2 Tbsp. milk

• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

• 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

• 1 lb. lean ground beef

• 3 Tbsp. dry minced onion

• 1 tsp. dried parsley

• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

• 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. For the soup: Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large pot. Add onions and saute for 3 minutes.

2. Add carrots, celery, and bell pepper. Saute for 2 minutes

3. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute for 30 seconds.

4. Stir in remaining soup ingredients except for the add later ingredients.

5. Bring to a boil. Then cover and reduce to low to simmer for 15 minutes.

6. For the meatballs: In a large bowl, whisk egg gently. Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined.

7. Roll into tablespoon-sized meatballs. Add to a foil lined baking sheet.

8. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes.

9. Add spaghetti noodles to soup and simmer over medium-high heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente.

10. Meatballs can be added when they are done baking in the oven.

11. Remove soup from heat and discard bay leaf.

12. Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and then add half and half. For a thinner soup, add more chicken broth or water.

13. Serve soup topped with additional Parmesan, salt and pepper, and/or red pepper flakes.

Recipe slightly adapted from Carlsbad Cravings