Tiny Meatball Soup

I've never told anyone this, because it sounds kinda weird, but...I love making meatballs! There is just something SO satisfying about getting in there with your hands, (the best kitchen tools ever), and mixing together the meat, breadcrumbs, and whatever kind of tasty seasonings you like.
It was my love of making meatballs, and my intense need to have them fit on my spoon, that brought me into my kitchen to put together this recipe for meatballs. And not just any meatballs...say it with me now...that's right...tiny meatballs. Everything that is glorious and good in a meatball...and just the right size for your spoon.

Today, I have tossed these little balls of delectable goodness, into a pot of simmering marinara, beef stock, veggies, and pasta. (Tiny pasta, by the way.) And it all comes together to make one GORGEOUS pot of soup.

For The Meatballs: 1/2 Lb ground sirloin 1/2 Lb spicy Italian sausage (bulk) 1 large egg 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup milk 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp salt For The Soup: 1 - 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 32 oz box beef stock 1 jar marinara (I like Mario Batali's or Rao's) 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 1 tsp Italian seasoning salt, to taste 3/4 cup ditalini pasta 4 handfuls fresh baby spinach
Directions: In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients for the meatballs. Using clean hands, mix it all together. Scoop mixture into teaspoon sized portions, rolling each into bite size meatballs. Place on cooking sheet or in a shallow dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least half an hour. *I make mine earlier in the day or even the night before. When you're ready to make the soup, heat 1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large stock pot. Add meatballs in batches, and brown for a few minutes. *You are not completely cooking them; just browning. Remove browned meatballs to plate. Add onion and carrots to stock pot. Stir them around, scraping up brown bits left from meatballs. Add minced garlic and continue stirring, about 2 minutes. Add beef stock, stir well, continuing to scrape up any bits you can still feel on bottom of pot. Pour in your marinara, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning. Bring pot to a simmer, reduce heat, and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Add ditalini pasta and meatballs to simmering pot. Continue to cook another 8 minutes. Remove soup from flame. Taste to see how much salt you'd like. *Start with just 1/2 tsp. Stir in baby spinach. Let sit just a few minutes before serving. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan. Serves 6
*Soup will thicken from the starch in the pasta. When re-heating, add a small amount of stock or water.