Winter Minestrone

What You'll Need

• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 4 oz. pancetta or bacon, diced
• 1 large yellow onion (1 1/2 cups), chopped
• 3 carrots (2 cups), peeled and chopped
• 3 stalks celery (2 cups), chopped
• 1/2 large butternut squash (2 1/2 cups), peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 4 cloves (1 1/2 Tbsp.) garlic, minced
• 2 Tsp. fresh thyme, chopped (or 3/4 tsp. dried)
• 1 26-oz. box or 28-oz. can diced or crushed tomatoes
• 6-8 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken stock (I used 6 cups)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 15 oz. can canellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups cooked (1 1/3 cups dry) small pasta (I used whole wheat mini shells)
• 8-10 oz. fresh baby spinach, chopped (I found that 6 oz. was enough spinach)
• 2 Tbsp. homemade or store-bought pesto
• freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

How to Make It

1. Heat olive oil in large heavy pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pancetta or bacon and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the onion, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of chicken stock, bay leaf, 2 tsp. kosher salt, and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
2. While the soup is simmering, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water, according to package directions.
3. Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. (If the soup needs to be thinned at this point, add more stock.) Stir in the spinach and toss with two big spoons. Cook just until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the pesto. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

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