thabkyou for adding recipes

I'm Italian and I've literally never seen anythig like this in my life

In Italian is called minestra maritata but it's done with seasonal vegetables and three kinds of meat: sausages, beef and chicken or with pork skin, pork ribs and pork meat, it's cooked in the Lazio region and Campania. Italian Americans transformed this recipe putting meatballs, probably because cheaper than the Italian version and they translated badly the maritata word, maritata means married, the marriage of vegetables and meat.

I would not say undercooked, but beef meatballs belong in beef soup! I’m Italian and my mom & grandma (me, too) make beef stock from beef bones(marrow &knuckle with meat), whole onion, celery stocks & leaves, carrots and Italian flat-leaf parsley with roots, salt and pepper simmer for 8-12 hours. As meat begins to fall off the bone remove it, cool, shred and refrigerate. After 8 hrs or so remove bones, remove all meat and discard bones (any marrow should be eaten with bread or at least given to the dog). Cool stock, remove all veg and strain. Refrigerate until stock congealed and fat is solid on the top. [Tomorrow] Make meatballs (she did ok, need to add minced garlic and flat-parsley). Remove all fat (solid yellowish layer on top of stock) and discard. Bring stock to simmer & add chopped celery, carrots and onion. Add small can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce. Add pearl barley when done add meat, meatballs and chopped escarole (dark green leafy veg-ask produce manager. If not available use baby spinach. It an ok substitute, but escarole is better!). In separate pot cook soup pasta when done (don’t over cook) add to soup! Serve with lots of grated cheese (pecorino Romano or parmigiana) and crusty Italian bread. Yes!! it is worth 2 full days of cooking! You will never go back to lame quick versions! Btw always make a vat and freeze portions before adding pasta. Please no green sludge !! Delicioso! Mange!!