Italian Wedding Meatball Soup

Ingredients:

• 450 g of ground turkey
• 1/4 cup semi-skimmed ricotta
• 1/4 cup pesto
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil + extra for drizzling
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon dry Italian seasoning
• 4 cups lightly salted chicken broth
• 1 head escarole (about 450 g), chopped (remove tough outer leaves)
• 110 g ditalini pasta (about 3/4 cup)
• Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to broil. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
2. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, ricotta, pesto, Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Mix with your hands until evenly distributed. Form into 24 small meatballs (about 1 tablespoon each); transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Grill until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth, 2 cups water, escarole, and ditalini pasta. Cover and bring to a boil, then slightly open the lid and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the meatballs and simmer, uncovered, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle each serving with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley.