This meatball tortellini soup is one of the best things that comes out of our kitchen in winter. It combines two Calabrian staples — stuffed pasta in broth and our vrasciole Italian meatballs — into a single bowl that improves every time you reheat it. It is part of a long tradition of Italian meat-based cooking: if you want to explore that further, our complete guide to meat-based Italian sauces covers the full landscape, from ragù alla bolognese to Calabrian frissurata.
Vrasciole are a Calabrian-style meatball, shaped into flat, log-like disks and fried until golden and crispy. During the colder months here, we fry them in a cast iron pot over the fireplace, sprinkle them with flaky salt while still hot, and eat half before the soup even starts. The rest go into the broth.
The magic is what happens to the meatballs in the broth. As they simmer, they release fat and seasoning into the liquid, enriching it without any need for store-bought stock. By the time the tortellini have absorbed that broth, every component of the bowl has flavored every other one.
How to Make Meatball Tortellini Soup
Start by making the vrasciole using our meatball recipe. You can make them up to 48 hours ahead. We like to fry half in olive oil over the fireplace for an appetizer and save the other half for the broth. For tips on frying in olive oil and cooking with olive oil more generally, see our guides.
For the broth, fill a large pot with water and add a whole onion, celery, and carrot. Season gently with salt, add whole black peppercorns and a sprig of rosemary, and bring to a boil. Let the vegetables simmer for at least 20 minutes before adding the meatballs.
Gently lower the meatballs into the broth and cook over steady medium heat until tender. Do not turn the heat too high — a hard boil will break them apart. The goal is a gentle simmer that lets the meatballs release their flavor into the broth slowly.
Cook the tortellini separately in salted boiling water before adding them to the broth. This keeps the broth from becoming too starchy and lets the tortellini finish absorbing flavor in the meatball liquid rather than plain water.
Serve the tortellini and broth first, then add the meatballs. Finish each bowl with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil — this is the traditional way to serve primi and secondi at an Italian table. Buon appetito.
You may also like:
Vrasciole — Calabrian Fried Italian Meatballs
Guide to Meat Based Italian Sauces
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