For the recipe, I browned chicken thighs in olive oil in a Dutch oven. Browning the chicken adds flavor. I purchased 4 chicken thighs (bone in, with skin) which was about 2 lbs. The recipe calls for adding 6 quarts of water to simmer the chicken. I recommend using a 7-quart Dutch oven or 8-quart stock pot.

My family is Italian also. We never used pasta. Instead we used chicken thighs, chicken broth, celery, onion. Then we made dough balls the size of your index fingernail. We also made separate beef and sausage balls the same size. We also made hard boiled eggs, separate the yolk, chop up the white into small pieces then add to soup.. Then crumble the yolks and add that last... This is so good! Leave it boil a few minutes then simmer...

We make our wedding soup as follows: boneless skinless chicken breasts boiled with some celery and onion to make a nice broth we use some canned low sodium chicken broth or base, too Little meatballs just like we make for spaghetti but NO garlic boiled chopped celery escarole cleaned and cooked and finely chopped and doughball flour and egg fried tiny pcs. of dough Remove onion and celery after broth is made and add cooked meatballs, celery, greens and doughballs lots of grated Locatelli cheese on top for a delicious soup ENJOY!

REAL Italian Wedding Soup is made with the VERY SMALL pasta, size of a b.b., or smaller called ACINI DI PEPE. The old Italians used to add and egg to the broth while it was cooking also. Any OTHER pasta OTHER than the ACINI DI PEPE, then, in my opinion, all you are making is Chicken Soup. No offense to anyone.. Make sure that you drain those little pastas in HOT water. My friend tried to make this soup and ruined it because she cooked the pasta in with the chicken.. Can't do that as most of you know, pasta must be cooked by itself with salted water with oil added.

My mother came from Italy and she made this same soup but always used the escarole. It stands up to cooking and adds a much better and unique flavor than spinach does. I believe that the version with the escarole is probably what was done originally back in Italy and it probably changed to spinach in the US when it started to show up in cans or when people didn't know what escarole was or couldn't find it. I always find it near the frilly lettuce at the supermarket. Even the checkout girls don't know what it is!

An Italian family that owns a deli near where I work makes this wonderful soup, but the pasta they use is tiny. They said they use Acini de Pepe pasta (or sometimes orzo). So that's what I used when I made this, along with fresh organic baby spinach instead of escarole. 2/3 cup on the pasta but you could use more or less depending on personal preference.

I love this stuff and I always get a chuckle out of it. We added ditalini. In the kitchen we called it fish eye and monkey nut soup.

This is a truely wonderful dish. My thoughts are that having to cook a chicken and search for ingredients you're unsure of turns it into a labor of love. The key ingredients are the meatballs, chicken broth and spices and veggies you like. This is the way it is served at the Telus World of Science Museum in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Pasta and white beans are great, but ham, chicken and/or prosciutto changes the taste and texture.

Is it just me, or is there anywhere in this recipe that says how much spaghetti to use?? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Lgarms,

It's really a matter of personal preference if you'd like to add pasta and/or how much or what kind of pasta you'll use. I've even added ravioli filled with a traditional ricotta filling with spinach and mortadella bits. Anything goes!

-- CM

I've made this for years and love it. To enhance the flavor, I put the "foot" from Parmesan cheese (I grate my own Parmesan and it is the hard "crust") and it just puts the flavor over the top. I highly recommend it.

I have mine simmering as we speak, it's the first time i've ever made it and I can't wait to try it. I also substituted and used spinach and Ditalini. I want to use the egg, but my husband is picky so i have to go without it, but I have a nice layer of parmesano on top as it simmers.

to Tammy: escarole is a green vegetable and i usually find it in all the grocery stores next to the salad usually where the green leaf salads are. i love escarole - i use the heart to make salad with anchovies olive cherry tomatoes and mozzarella cheese olive oil and vinegar

Wow! This recipe sounds amazing and I can't wait to try it. I like Tom's suggestion too as I've done the egg thing with Greek soup before and it turns out with a nice hearty consistancy. I'm sure I sound like a total idiot when I say that I don't know what escarole is. I always thought it was spinach in wedding soup. I'm 40 yrs. old and I've never heard of it or seen it at the store. I thought I knew my vegetables.

My family would use escarole and endive.

Try this variation. While simmering add 1/4 pkg. chopped spinach (use frozen chopped spinach, take out of freezer 1/2 hour prior, while still partially frozen you can finely chop it with a knife). Finally do a "Stracciatella" (egg drop) Use 1 to 3 eggs in a measuring cup whisk, stir in some cooled broth (so the egg does not cook) and 1/2 cup grated parmasean or romano cheese. Whisk it all in the cup then slowly pour into the simmering soup. This will take this good recipe to great! Buon Appetito.

I like to cook the meatballs right in the chicken broth. It gives extra flavor. Add then when you return the chicken to the pot. I also use ditalli pasta, it is tiny tubes, and substitute spinach for the escarole, it's cheaper.