Spicy SpaghettiOs

To make the “meat balls”: measure out the sausage into ~½  tsp size portions. Coat your hands in olive oil and roll each piece of sausage into a little ball.

Make the soup: Heat a large pot over medium high and add a tbsp of olive oil. Add the diced onions, carrots, celery, red bell pepper and a pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the crushed garlic, thyme, and tomato paste. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until the tomato paste has deepened in color.

Add the chicken stock, canned tomato, and chopped calabrian chilis. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for about 20 minutes. (optional: add a rind of parm to the soup as it simmers and remove before blending). Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup into a smooth consistency. Whisk in 1 tsp of chicken bouillon paste. Taste for seasoning and add salt accordingly.

Poach the Meatballs: Turn the heat back on to a simmer. Gently add the meatballs into the simmering soup, cover with a lid and poach them for 10 minutes.

In a separate pot, cook the ditalini in salted water until al dente. Then add the cooked pasta into the soup along with 2 cups of the salted pasta water and 4 tbsp of butter. Mix to combine. Pasta will absorb liquid as it sits. Thin soup out with more chicken stock and water as needed.