Tortellini Meatball Soup

Tortellini Meatball Soup

This soup is marvelous!  It is tender and has "girth." (I remember a guy I liked in college coined the word "girth" to describe life and all that it holds....Thanks, John!)  Anyway, this soup is tender and not overly spiced.  I suppose you could spice it up if you prefer more spice, but the recipe below will reflect that which I did to create what I call "comfort food."  Today I took my 18-year-old son to the hospital as he did not look well and had already been diagnosed with pneumonia 10 days earlier.  This soup was a welcome "Mommy Soup" and was  very well-received.  It is "magnifico!"

• 2 tbsp. minced dried onion
• 1 cup pre-cut crinkle carrot chips
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cans beef broth - low-sodium
• 1 cup water - more if necessary
• 1 9-oz. pkg. frozen cheese-filled tortellini
• 8 oz. frozen Italian-Style meatballs
• 2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 pkg 10-oz. frozen spinach - thawed and dried
• 3/4 red pepper - chopped into small pieces
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• salt and pepper - to taste
• 1 tsp. dried basil

In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook onion, carrots, Italian seasoning, basil, and garlic in hot olive oil over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the beef broth and water and bring to a boil.  Stir in tortellini and meatballs.  Return to boiling - then reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes.  

Stir in the thawed, drained spinach, red pepper, and lemon juice.  Simmer - uncovered - about 10 minutes or until tortellini are tender.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

History of Tortellini

Although tortellini are undoubtedly a food from Emilia, the origin of this famous pasta dish is unclear. One thing is for sure and that is that tortellini are fairly ancient. There is a recipe for tortelli, larger tortellini, that dates back to the 12th century, while the first recipe for tortellini alla Bolognese comes from 1550. From that moment on, tortellini have held a special place in the cuisine of Bologna. 

There are many legends told about this dish: one of the most famous, written by Cerri in the 14th century, recounts that Mars, Bacchus and Venus came down to earth to intervene in the 12th century war between the people of Modena and Bologna. Having arrived at the battle site, the three guests decided to spend the night at an inn in Castelfranco, a small town located in between the two cities. 

According to the legend, in the morning, Bacchus and Mars woke up early to visit the battle site, but when Venus awoke, she thought she had been abandoned by her companions. She immediately called the innkeeper to find out where they had gone. The innkeeper arrived to find the goddess of love naked in front of him. The beauty of her body made such a strong impression on him that he created a new shape of pasta that resembled her belly button!