Meatball + Pasta Broth Soup with Pesto
A light yet flavorful broth with vegetables and herbs swimming along. Add in your favorite gluten free pasta, pesto and of course the delicate meatballs.
It’s a simple soup to make mid week and that everyone at your table will enjoy.
Keep the meatballs and pasta separate until you serve it – and leftovers store better than way! Pro tip!
Meatballs are just a hug of love.
Meatballs make an appearance in several of my recipes. They are so great in soups – I added them to the Easy Lasagna Meatball Soup and in the Sesame Pork Meatball Ramen Bowls.
But when you make them mini, like in the Lemon Pork Mini Meatball Pita Pockets they are just so darn cute and perfect to stuff into the pita pockets with.
And in a classic meatball and pasta but with spaghetti squash in the Parmesan Chicken Meatball Spaghetti Squash Bowls
Make them ahead of time. Freeze them and use them with you need them. Meal prep tips coming at you.
Let's talk about pesto.
If you have followed along with me and my recipes, you already know that I LOVE pesto.
There is just something about it. If it’s on a menu – I’ll order it. If I hear the word “pesto” I turn my head. I add it to my eggs, pizza and SOUPS.
It has hints of fresh herbs, garlic, nuts and is just plan perfection.
I like to make it dairy free and then add Parmesan later – Pesto freezes great without the cheese.
More soup recipes to try.
Meatball + Pasta Broth Soup with Pesto
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Italian pork sausage
- 1/4 cup gluten free Italian seasoned or plain panko bread crumbs
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons milk (I used unsweetened coconut milk)
- 2 heaping tablespoons dried Italian herbs (if your bread crumbs are plain)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
- 1/3 cup basil pesto (recipe below)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, small diced
- 2 celery stalks, small diced
- 2 medium carrots, small diced
- 2–3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 quarts chicken bone broth
- 1 handful fresh parsley (about 1/2 cup), chopped
- 6 oz. cooked gluten free pasta (any shape you like, I had penne on hand)
- red pepper flakes, optional
Classic + Basic Basil Pesto
recipe from My Kids Spring Zucchini + Pea Pesto Pasta
- 2 handfuls fresh basil leaves
- 1–2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup olive oil (or more to thin it out)
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (leave out if you are going to freeze the pesto)
- optional – 2 pinches fresh lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- To make the meatballs, combine the pork sausage, bread crumbs, 1 large pinch of salt and pepper, milk, 1 tablespoon Italian herbs (if needed), Parmesan cheese and 1 heaping tablespoon of pesto in a mixing bowl. Mix with a rubber spatula, wooden spoon or hands. Scoop the meatballs out to a baking sheet tray in about tablespoon sized portions. Continue until all the meat is formed into meatballs.
- Bake the meatballs for 8-10 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove from the oven, while you make the soup.
- In a Dutch oven, sauté the olive oil, onion, celery and carrots together over medium heat until the onions are softened. Add in the minced garlic, 1 heaping tablespoon of Italian herbs and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the chicken bone broth and bring up to a heavy simmer or light boil for 3 minutes. Turn the heat to low and cook until the carrots are softened – about 4 minutes. Add in the remaining pesto and parsley.
- To serve, ladle the broth into serving bowls and portion out the meatballs and some pasta into each bowl. Top with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.
Notes
Meatballs form best by scooping out with a small cookie scoop, rolling in between your hands – sometimes you may need to put olive oil on your hands – this will help form them and make them stay together better.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: soup
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: soup
Did you make this recipe? Take a picture and tag me @whitesparrowfoodco or #whitesparrowfoodco I’d love to hear what you thought of the recipe!
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