Italian Wedding Soup

Make the Meatball Mixture

Combine the ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, Pecorino Romano, minced garlic, parsley, oregano, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.

Mix the meatball mixture gently with your hands until just combined — do not overwork it.

Form the Meatballs

Roll the mixture into balls about 3/4 inch in diameter (roughly the size of a large marble) and place them on the prepared baking sheet.

Preheat Broiler

Position an oven rack 6 inches from the top heating element and preheat the broiler to high.

Broil the meatballs for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly browned on top — they do not need to be fully cooked through.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside.

Build the Soup Base

Heat the olive oil in the large pot over medium heat until it shimmers.

Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 6 minutes.

Add Broth

Pour in the chicken broth and raise the heat to medium-high to bring the soup to a gentle boil.

Season the broth with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Add Meatballs and Pasta

Carefully lower the broiled meatballs into the simmering broth.

Stir in the acini di pepe pasta.

Reduce heat to medium and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the meatballs are cooked through.

Add Escarole

Stir in the chopped escarole and cook for 2 minutes until wilted.

Make the Egg Swirl

Whisk together the 2 eggs and 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan in a small bowl until smooth.

Slowly drizzle the egg and Parmesan mixture into the simmering soup in a thin, steady stream.

Stir gently in one direction with a fork to create delicate egg ribbons throughout the broth.

Taste and Serve

Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Ladle the soup into bowls and finish each serving with a generous sprinkle of extra Parmesan cheese.