Italian Meatball Soup

Anyone who knows my husband knows that he loves anything with a "red" sauce on it.  I mean anything....He's the only person I know that orders spaghetti and meatballs in a seafood restaurant.  I know... gross, right???
This Italian Meatball Soup literally takes about 15 minutes to make if you have precooked your mini-meatballs or you buy the frozen kind. The frozen meatballs at the Market are actually pretty good, but of course homemade meatballs are always a better choice. Serve it with a big loaf of crusty Italian bread or biscuits,  a side of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and watch all your troubles melt away....

 Prep Time:  5 minutes

 Cook Time: 10 Minutes

 Servings:  8

Ingredients

• 2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil ( enough to cover bottom of pan )
• ½ cup Onions, Diced
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• ½ cup Celery, Diced
• 1 pound of pre-cooked mini meatballs ( store bought or your own)
• 14 ounces, Canned Diced Tomatoes
• 14 ounces,  Tomato Sauce
• 6 cups Beef Broth
• 1 cup Corn, Frozen
• 1 teaspoons Salt
• 1 1/2  tsp Dried Italian Seasoning
• 1 cup Uncooked Pasta, Small Shells
• Parmesan or Romano Cheese, to sprinkle on soup (optional) 
• FOR THE MEATBALLS:
• 3/4 Ground Beef
• 1/4 Ground Pork
• 1 large Eggs, Lightly Beaten
• 1/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 Cup Italian-Style Bread Crumbs  or Fresh Breadcrumbs
• 3/4 Tsp. Dried Italian Seasoning
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 2-3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil- For Drizzling Over Meatballs

For Meatballs:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork , egg, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, dry Italian Seasoning, and salt.  Mix thoroughly until combined. Roll each meatball into bite size mini balls. Place rolled meatballs on a large cookie sheet or pizza pan (with sides).  Drizzle the meatballs with olive oil and roll them around to make sure they're evenly coated.  Cook meatballs in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until browned.  Remove from oven and drain on a paper towel.

For Soup:

 In a large pot or dutch oven, add olive oil, onion and celery, saute for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute for about another minute.

Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, mini meatballs, corn and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Add pasta. Cook until pasta is done (about 10 minutes).
Serve with a sprinkle of cheese if desired.

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