Name: Escarole Soup with Pasta and Meatballs
Yield: Makes 4 main-course or 6 first-course servings
Ingredients: 3/4 pound lean ground beef; 1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided; 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread; 1 large egg; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 7 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth, divided; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 large celery stalks with tops, chopped; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1/2 cup farfallini or orzo; 1 small head of escarole, coarsely torn

Polly Tafrate of South Salem, New York, writes: "I've taken dozens of cooking classes over the years, but some of my best lessons in the kitchen have come from my husband's family. His sister and his mother have shared many delicious recipes with me, including this one."

Test-kitchen tip:

For fresh breadcrumbs, grind chunks of crustless French bread in the processor to coarse crumbs.

Recipe notes

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