Mamma's Stracciatelle with Tiny Meatballs

Stracciatelle (Italian for “little rags") refers to the delicate shreds of parmesan-thickened egg that drizzle into hot broth and cook into feathery ribbons. Add tiny meatballs and a handful of spinach, and you have what American families know as Italian wedding soup, minus the fussier pasta shapes.

The technique is older than Italian-American cooking: a warm bowl of chicken broth, barely simmering pasta, carrot rounds, julienned spinach, and mini meatballs rolled from seasoned ground beef. Drop the meatballs into the simmering soup to cook through (about 5 to 8 minutes), then drizzle beaten eggs slowly into the soup while stirring with a wooden spoon. The eggs form delicate ribbons (the rags that give the soup its name).

A sprinkle of parmesan at the table adds nutty richness, and the pasta keeps each spoonful satisfying without going heavy. Serve with crusty bread for dipping and a simple green salad on the side. The whole thing comes together in under 45 minutes for 4 generous bowls.

Chef Tips

• Roll meatballs small, about marble-size. Big meatballs take too long to cook in broth and lose their delicacy.
• Drop meatballs gently into just-simmering (not boiling) broth. A rolling boil breaks them apart.
• Beat the eggs thoroughly before drizzling. Partially beaten eggs form thick clumps instead of delicate ribbons.
• Drizzle from a height of 6 inches or so while stirring the broth. This creates the classic thin shreds.
• Use good parmesan, freshly grated. Pre-grated powder from a can tastes dusty in this context.

Variations

• Swap ground beef for ground turkey or chicken for a lighter soup.
• Use escarole or Swiss chard in place of spinach for a more traditional Italian-American wedding soup.
• Use acini di pepe, orzo, or small pastina pasta instead of regular pasta for authentic Italian presentation.