Italian Wedding Soup

I have a wonderful husband who occasionally requests certain meals. This is one of those meals. Apparently, he enjoys it. Haha. We always have leftovers, too, so it would feed a good many people. Good news for families, huh?

I adapted this recipe from a Rachel Ray cookbook (30 minute meals 2, Lake Isle Press). She calls it "Meatball and Macaroni Soup." It's her quick version of Italian Wedding Soup. As always, I have adjusted things to fit my persnickety tastes. I didn't change it too much, but I did change it a smidge. Following is my adaptation.

Ingredients:
-olive oil; enough to sautee some veggies (maybe a tablespoon or two)
-2 carrots, peeled and sliced
-2 bay leaves
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 lb ground meat (I use beef, but any ground meet that can be made into meatballs is okie dokie)
-1 beaten egg
-1 teaspoon garlic powder
-1/2 cup (ish) grated parmesan
-1/2 cup (ish) bread crumbs (I use Italian seasoned)
-6 cups chicken broth or stock
-2 cups of water
-1.5 cups pasta-I use egg noodles a lot, but any smallish pasta would work.
-1/5 lb fresh spinach

Directions:
In a large pot over medium heat, drizzle in the olive oil. Add the chopped carrots and bay leaves. Season with the salt and pepper. Cover the pot and let the carrots cook for a few minutes, stirring every once in a while.

While those are cooking, throw the meat, egg, garlic powder, bread crumbs, parmesan, and some salt and pepper (if desired) in a large-ish bowl. Mix it all together so everything is evenly incorporated.

Add the chicken broth and water to the veggies. This will keep them from burning. Trust me. Hehe. Have I ever mentioned that I learn a lot about cooking by doing things incorrectly the first time? Cause I do. A lot. Moving on. Increase the heat to high and let the soup come to a boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat back down to medium/medium high heat. Roll the meat mixture into meat balls, about 1 inch in diameter, dropping each ball into the pot as you roll it. When all the meat is rolled into a ball and added to the pot, add the pasta. Stir everything together. Cover the soup again and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, enough time to let the pasta get tender. Add the spinach in batches. It will seem like you're adding a ton of spinach, but it will wilt down. Once the spinach has wilted, the soup is ready to devour. It's great with bread, or if you're serving more people, sandwiches will help it go a little farther. Yummm.