Description
A cozy, weeknight-friendly soup that tastes like an Italian trattoria classic—tender meatballs simmered in a creamy tomato broth with tiny pasta and fresh spinach. It’s comforting yet bright, ready in about 40 minutes, and perfect for meal prep. Great for quick breakfast reheat (hello thermos), easy dinner, healthy snack-sized portions, and anyone hunting for breakfast ideas, dinner ideas, easy recipe inspiration, or cold-weather food ideas.
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
6 cups chicken broth
1 lb Italian meatballs (fresh, cooked, or frozen)
1 cup ditalini (or other small pasta)
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
1. Warm olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion and celery until soft, about 5 minutes; stir in garlic for 30–60 seconds.
2. Add diced tomatoes and tomato paste; cook 2–3 minutes to concentrate flavor.
3. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil. Add meatballs; reduce heat and simmer 10–15 minutes.
4. Stir in pasta and cook until just al dente, 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Lower heat; add heavy cream, spinach, and Parmesan. Stir until spinach wilts and cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Ladle into bowls and top with extra Parmesan and basil if you like. Serve with crusty bread.
Notes
Cook pasta directly in the broth but pull it when just shy of al dente; it continues softening in the hot soup.
Add cream at the very end over low heat to keep the broth silky and prevent curdling.
For the best flavor, brown homemade meatballs first—or choose high-quality store-bought meatballs.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ~1.5 cups
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 980 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
Keywords: easy dinner, creamy soup, meatball soup, quick recipe, weeknight dinner, comfort food, dinner ideas