Chicken Dumpling and Noodle Stoup

This is a Rachael Ray recipe that puts a twist on Chicken Noodle Soup. So good!

4 servings
Ingredients
Salt
1/2 lb short-cut pasta, such as ditalini or penne
2 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
1 large yellow onion, 3/4 of it thinly sliced, 1/4 of it grated
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 garlic cloves, chopped
Black pepper
5 cups chicken stock
1 package ground chicken breast meat (we use ground turkey b/c there is no ground chicken in stillwater)
1 cup fresh basil, 20 leaves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 egg white
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (we used grated Parmesan cheese)
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 12-oz sack triple-washed baby spinach
1/4 cup store bought pesto

Directions
1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, salt it, and cook the pasta just shy of al dente - about 5 minutes (It will cook more later). Drain and reserve.
2. While the pasta works, preheat a large soup pot with the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onions are tender and golden.
3. Add the chicken stock and bring it up to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium low and simmer while you make the chicken dumplings.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, basil, parsley, egg white, grated onion, lemon zest, grated cheese, and a little salt and pepper. Mix well.
5. Using a serving spoon, scoop out a walnut-size spoonful of the chicken mixture of the chicken mixture. Then, use a second spoon to push the chicken mixture off the first spoon into the simmering stock.
6. Repeat this with the rest of the chicken mixture, working as quickly as you can to get all the dumplings into the stock. (I make all dumplings into their shapes separately. After they are all made, then I place them all in the stock one at a time. That way I don't rush making the dumplings.)
7. Shake the pan in order to settle the chicken dumplings into the stock. Cover and cook the dumplings for 5 minutes.
8. Add the tomatoes, pasta, and spinach to the soup and cook for 2 minutes more.
9. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top each bowl with a dollop of the pesto (1 tablespoon per serving to use 1/4 cup total) and more grated cheese.