It's the perfect dish for a cold weather night - Italian Wedding Soup. The Italian name for this soup is minestra maritata which translates to a married soup. Traditionally this soup was made with whatever meat was available combined with local greens thus the "marriage" of meat and greens. Pasta was added later on but was not used in the original Toledo, Spain recipe. Let's make some soup. Cooking time: 30-45 min Serves: 9-10 Makes: 2-2 1/4 quarts Calories: 250-300 per cup Ingredients for Italian Wedding Soup Recipe 3 medium eggs 4 dry ounces toasted stale bread 2 ounces fresh parsley 2 large pinches of freshly grated Parmesan cheese 8 raisins 3 fresh garlic cloves Light pinch of red pepper flakes 8 ounces lean ground round steak 8 ounces ground spicy pork sausage 1/2 gallon (64 ounces) of lightly salted homemade chicken broth Pinch of black pepper 12 ounces baked chicken 4 ounces fresh baby spinach, kale, or cabbage. Salt to taste Extra Virgin Olive oil Shredded Parmesan cheese Preparation for Italian Wedding Soup Recipe Lightly whisk the 3 eggs in a bowl. Coarsely chop the parsley. Grate the toasted stale bread into crumbs into a bowl. Finely slice the raisins using a cutting board. Mince the garlic cloves. Crush the dried pepper flakes. Cube the baked chicken. Slice the baby spinach, kale, or cabbage into thin strips. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan cheese, raisins, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Add 1/2 of the ground beef and sausage. Mix together by hand. Add the remaining meat and continue to mix together by hand until fully blended. Form 1/2" small meatballs using the mixture. Heat a Dutch oven on the stovetop to medium temp. Barely coat the bottom of the pot with olive oil before heating. Add the small meatballs to the heated Dutch oven, let them brown, remove, and drain on paper towel. Add the broth and pepper to the Dutch oven. Lower the heat and allow the broth to reduce at a low simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Add chicken (and uncooked pasta) to simmer for an additional 5-7 minutes (or until pasta is cooked). Stir in greens just to wilt. When ready to serve, add Parmesan cheese on top. This Italian Wedding Soup recipe makes a great cold weather meal. If you are going to freeze a portion of this recipe, allow soup to fully cool before storing. Do not add the cheese to the top. When ready to thaw, place in refrigerator to partially thaw, then place in a pot on the stovetop to reheat. Cheese can be added to the top when ready to eat. Why not try it a bottle of Italian wine and snuggle in. Best wine pairing? Rosato Wine! Bon Appetit!