What we love about this spaghetti soup
- This soup is a family favorite! Spaghetti and meatballs are a classic comfort food on their own, but make them a soup and you have an extra-soothing, heartwarming dish with all the classic Italian flavor you could ever need.
- You can easily make these meatballs ahead of time or use store bought, making this an easy, one pot meal. Don’t worry if you don’t have time to prepare ahead though, the meatballs cook in just about the same amount of time it takes to prepare the soup – so you can transfer them directly into the soup.
Here’s what you’ll need to make it
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- Ground beef
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Pot sized spaghetti – Pick up a box of pot sized spaghetti if you like or you can break your own full length spaghetti.
- Pasta sauce – Use your favorite, whether it is store bought or homemade. We used store bought for this recipe to save some time.
- Chicken stock
- Onion
- Fresh basil (option, for serving)
- Ricotta cheese (optional, for serving)
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
How to make this spaghetti and meatball soup
Make the meatballs. Mix the meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Scoop and form small, inch size meatballs and arrange them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 400˚F for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Simmer the soup. Heat some olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic until onions have started to soften you can add the remaining ingredients. Simmer until spaghetti is tender. Stir in meatballs and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
Serve the soup. We served our soup with the option of grated pecorino romano cheese or creamy ricotta cheese, and some sliced fresh basil. We loved the option of the ricotta cheese. It elevates the flavor of the soup – just a dollop on top adds an element of cool creaminess that was very enjoyable.
Everything you need to know about this spaghetti soup
Should you cook pasta before adding to soup?
Sometimes you do and sometimes you don’t, but for this recipe we will add uncooked spaghetti to the soup. Cooking the spaghetti directly in the broth will allow it to absorb loads of savory tomato flavor.
How much pasta should I put in soup?
You can make this soup with up to a full 16 ounce package of spaghetti or less if you prefer. Adding too much pasta will remove the soup aspect from the recipe.
Can I freeze spaghetti soup?
If you want to freeze this soup, skip the pasta until you thaw it out. Then when you are ready to reheat, place thawed soup in a large dutch oven or pasta pot, bringing it to a boil and then adding the pasta. Cook until the pasta is tender and serve.
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Spaghetti Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (lean)
- 3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 24- ounce container pasta sauce
- 1 32- ounce container chicken stock
- 4 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 16- ounce package spaghetti
- Salt & pepper (to taste)
- Fresh basil (thinly sliced)
- Ricotta cheese (optional)
- Grated parmesan cheese (use you favorite)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, Panko breadcrumbs, dried basil, minced garlic, egg, salt, and black pepper. Mix until just combined.
- Roll the meatball mixture into small, bite-sized meatballs (about 1 inch) and place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Remove from oven and set aside.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes, until softened.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the pasta sauce, chicken stock, water and spices. Bring to a boil then add spaghetti. Cook until spaghetti is tender then add the meatballs to the soup.
- Garnish with fresh basil and a dollop of ricotta before serving.
Nutrition
how much past and what kind
It will be 16 ounces of spaghetti. The information should be correct in the recipe card now. Hope you enjoy!