In a large bowl, combine Italian pork sausage, ground beef, breadcrumbs, garlic, egg, grated parmesan, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1-inch meatballs and transfer to a large plate.
Melt the butter and heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot set over medium-high heat. To the melted butter, add the onion, carrots, and celery; season with salt and pepper and cook for 4 minutes or until just softened. Stir frequently.
Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning, and continue to cook for 15 seconds, or until fragrant. Pour in the broth, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to pick up all the browned bits.
Add in the pasta and meatballs, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a steady simmer and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through. Stir in the spinach and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until just wilted.
Remove from heat, taste the soup for salt and pepper, and adjust accordingly.
Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with shredded parmesan and serve.
Pasta: This soup is prepared with small pasta like Acini di Pepe, and you can use any other small-shaped pasta like orzo and ditalini
Cook the pasta separately if you plan to have leftovers. The pasta will soak up a lot of the liquid; therefore, if you want to serve this soup later, make the pasta on the side and add it to the soup when serving.
Meatballs: I prepared the meatballs with Italian pork sausage and ground beef, but you can use any other combination of ground meats or sausages. If time permits, I suggest searing the meatballs for a few minutes for deeper flavor before adding them to the soup.
Wine: To add more flavor, add about 1/4 cup of dry white wine when cooking the carrots, onions, and celery.
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
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