Meatball Soup

I have a dear friend (thanks Lynzi!) that made the soup that serves as the base to the recipe below. It's always been a favorite, but over time I've made some changes. Added more ingredients and increased the quantity. Here is where it stands now. It's an excellent and simple and easy soup to make and it always hits the spot. You should be able to get 6-8 servings out of this easily.

Ingredients:
Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
3 ribs celery
2 carrots, diced
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 zucchini, diced
2 cans tomatoes, undrained
4 cans chicken broth (approx. 8 cups)
1 cup pasta
35 meatballs
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and Pepper TT

In a large pot on medium-high heat, saute the onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil, until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the broth and tomatoes. Let cook for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Let cook for at least 20 minutes, or longer if you so desire. I've had this on a simmer all day before. I just cooked the noodles separately and added upon serving.

Microwave Score: 4-if pasta is included, the next day it will be softer.
Freezer Score: never have enough leftovers to freeze
Jake Score: 4.5, once I added more meatballs he was a happy camper.
Overall Score: 4.5-easy, yummy, healthy, just wish I could have pasta that doesn't get mushy over the next day or so.