Spaghetti meatball soup

Name: Spaghetti meatball soup
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 5
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 60g (1 cup) panko breadcrumbs; 1 onion; 500g beef mince; 1 egg; 25g (¼ cup) grated parmesan; 2 tsp dried Italian herbs (store-bought mix); ¾ tsp cooking salt; ¼ tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp olive oil

Nagi Maehashi

June 26, 2023

Tomato soup meets spaghetti and meatballs.Rob Palmer; Styling: Emma Knowles

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:5

Imagine your favourite Italian meatballs tossed through spaghetti with tomato pasta sauce with cheese on top. Now turn it into a soup. We’re talking a big pot of big-flavoured tomato soup with juicy meatballs bobbing about and strands of spaghetti tangled throughout. The only thing that could make this better is a side of hot, buttery garlic bread. Knees. Weak.

Ingredients

For the meatballs

60g (1 cup) panko breadcrumbs
1 onion
500g beef mince
1 egg
25g (¼ cup) grated parmesan
2 tsp dried Italian herbs (store-bought mix)
¾ tsp cooking salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

For the soup

1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp Italian herbs
700g passata
400g can crushed tomato
500ml (2 cups) low-salt chicken stock
500ml (2 cups) water
1 tsp cooking salt
1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
200g uncooked spaghetti
150g (1½ cups) mozzarella, freshly grated
finely grated parmesan, to serve

Method

Step 1
To make the meatballs, put the breadcrumbs in a bowl and grate the onion over using a standard box grater. Toss to soak the breadcrumbs with onion juices. Add the remaining meatball ingredients (except olive oil) then mix well with your hands. Roll walnut-sized pieces of the mixture into about 25 balls.
Step 2
Place a large pot over medium-high heat and add the oil. In two batches, sear the meatballs so they are brown outside (but still raw inside). Remove them to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Set aside.
Step 3
Using the same pot, cook onion, garlic and Italian herbs for 3 minutes or until onion is softened. Add the passata, tomato, stock, water, salt and chilli flakes (if using). Bring to simmer, then add the spaghetti.
Step 4
As the spaghetti softens, push it into the soup, adjusting the heat so it is simmering. Once all the pasta is under the surface, cook for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t clump together or catch on the base. At the 6-minute mark, add the meatballs, pushing them into the soup.
Step 5
Once the spaghetti is al dente, give it a final stir, turn off the stove, sprinkle with mozzarella, and put the lid on. Leave for 2 minutes to melt. Don’t worry if it sinks instead of staying on the surface.
Step 6
Ladle into bowls (using tongs, if necessary), sprinkle with parmesan, and serve.