For the Meatballs Eggs Whole Milk Breadcrumbs Grated Cheese
Prep and measure all ingredients. Be sure to rinse or peel all vegetables before using, and cut or hand-tear the escarole into bite-sized pieces.
Make the meatballs. When making the meatballs, it is important to soak the breadcrumbs in the milk/egg mixture for a couple of minutes, then mix this with the rest of the non-meat ingredients well before combining it with the ground beef.
Caramelize the tomato paste in the olive oil to bring out its flavors, then continue by sautéing the garlic and crushed red pepper, then the onions, carrots and celery until they are mostly softened.
Add the broth and parmigiano cheese rind to the pot, bring it to a simmer, then gently place the meatballs in the broth one-by-one.
Once the meatballs are set (i.e., cooked), gently add the escarole to the broth in batches as the escarole leaves are gradually wilted in the broth.