Italian Wedding Soup

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Add the meatball ingredients to a large bowl and mix well with wet hands (they’re your best tool!).

Use a tablespoon to portion out the meatball mixture, wet your hands again, and form into balls, arranging them in an even layer on the sheet pan. You should have 20-25 balls. Bake the meatballs until cooked through and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the oven and set aside while you make the soup.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, celery, carrots, and salt, and sauté for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute more.

Stir in the chicken stock and increase the heat to medium-high, bringing to a rolling simmer. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes or so. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the pesto, Parmesan cheese, meatballs, and spinach. Cook just until the spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice then taste and add more salt if desired. To serve, top with freshly grated Parmesan.