If you’d like to lean even closer to classic Italian wedding soup, you can stir in an extra cup or two of hot chicken broth after baking to make the dish looser and more spoonable, almost like a thick soup poured over pasta. A handful of grated Parmesan or Romano cheese on top before the final 5–10 minutes of baking adds a salty, nutty crust.
Served portion of wedding soup pasta with grated cheese
Served portion of wedding soup pasta with grated cheese
For a little more color, you can toss a cup of frozen peas or carrots in with the pasta before baking, though that will technically add more than four ingredients. Any small pasta shape works here—ditalini, acini di pepe, orzo, or tiny shells—just keep an eye on cooking time, as very tiny shapes can soften more quickly.
If you don’t have frozen mini meatballs, you can roll your own from bulk Italian sausage, but make sure they are small and fully cooked to 165°F (74°C) before baking them in the casserole for safety. Always keep meatballs frozen or refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble the dish, and don’t let raw meat sit out on the counter.
Leftovers should be cooled and refrigerated within 2 hours and eaten within 3–4 days; reheat until piping hot in the center. If the pasta thickens too much when reheating, simply loosen it with a splash of broth or water. This recipe is forgiving, so don’t be afraid to adjust the liquid a bit to suit how brothy or casserole-like you remember your own grandmother’s version.
