While you gather your ingredients, dice the carrots into 1/4-inch pieces, finely dice the onion into 1/4-inch pieces, dice the celery, mince the garlic cloves, and roughly chop the spinach. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper until just mixed—don't overwork the mixture or the meatballs will become dense. Form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs and set them on a plate.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, carefully add the meatballs and brown them on all sides for about 4 minutes total, working in batches if needed to avoid crowding the pan—this develops a golden crust that adds depth to the broth. Transfer the browned meatballs to a clean plate and set aside. I like using a heavy pot here because it retains heat well and browns the meatballs evenly.

In the same pot with the rendered fat from the meatballs, add the diced carrots, onions, and celery. Sauté over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and the onions turn translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant. This aromatic base, called mirepoix in French cooking, builds the foundational flavors of your soup.

Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, add the acini di pepe pasta and return the browned meatballs from Step 2 to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender and the meatballs are cooked through. I always use quality broth as the foundation because it really shines in this simple, broth-forward soup.

During the last minute of simmering, stir in the roughly chopped spinach from Step 1 and let it wilt into the soup. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. The spinach wilts quickly and adds a fresh, vibrant note that balances the richness of the broth and meatballs.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with a generous handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately while the soup is hot and the spinach is bright green.