Description
Hearty rigatoni meatball soup brings Italian comfort to your kitchen with robust flavors and tender meat. Rich pasta and savory meatballs mingle in a warm, satisfying broth that welcomes you home with each comforting spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Protein:
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Seasonings and Aromatics:
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (for meatballs)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (for soup)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (for meatballs)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (for soup)
- ½ teaspoon salt (for meatballs)
- ½ teaspoon salt (for soup)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (for meatballs)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (for soup)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Liquid and Pasta Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 can (28 oz / 800 g) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) diced tomatoes
- 4 cups (1 L) chicken or beef broth
- 2 cups rigatoni pasta
- ½ cup heavy cream (optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Blend ground beef with breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, beaten egg, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl until ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Gently form the meat mixture into compact spherical morsels, approximately one inch in diameter, ensuring uniform size for consistent cooking.
- Warm olive oil in a spacious pot over medium-high temperature, creating a shimmering surface that indicates optimal cooking readiness.
- Carefully introduce meatballs into the heated oil, allowing them to sear and develop a rich, golden-brown exterior. Rotate periodically to ensure even caramelization, cooking for 4-5 minutes until completely sealed and displaying a robust exterior color.
- Transfer browned meatballs to a separate plate, preserving their robust flavor and preparing them for subsequent integration into the soup.
Notes
- Customize the meatball mix by swapping ground beef with turkey or plant-based alternatives for a lighter protein option.
- Add extra herbs like fresh basil or parsley to the meatball mixture for a more vibrant, aromatic flavor profile.
- Use a cookie scoop or wet hands to create uniformly sized meatballs, ensuring even cooking and consistent texture throughout the soup.
- For gluten-free adaptation, replace breadcrumbs with almond flour or gluten-free breadcrumbs to maintain the meatball’s binding structure.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg