A comforting Italian-style soup featuring autumn vegetables, creamy beans, and pasta in savory broth topped with crispy pancetta.
# Components:
→ Meats
01 - Pancetta, diced - 4 oz
→ Vegetables
02 - Olive oil - 1 tablespoon
03 - Yellow onion, medium, diced - 1
04 - Carrots, medium, peeled and diced - 2
05 - Celery stalks, diced - 2
06 - Butternut squash, peeled and cubed - 2 cups
07 - Garlic cloves, minced - 2
08 - Kale, stems removed, chopped - 2 cups
09 - Diced tomatoes with juice, canned - 14 oz
→ Beans & Pasta
10 - White beans (cannellini or Great Northern), canned, drained and rinsed - 14 oz
11 - Ditalini pasta - 1 cup
→ Broth & Seasonings
12 - Chicken or vegetable broth - 5 cups
13 - Fresh thyme leaves - 1 teaspoon
14 - Bay leaf - 1
15 - Ground black pepper - ½ teaspoon
16 - Salt, to taste
17 - Fresh parsley, chopped - 2 tablespoons
18 - Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, for serving
# Directions:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add diced pancetta and cook until crisp, approximately 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, reserving the rendered fat in the pot.
02 - Add diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté over medium heat until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
03 - Stir in cubed butternut squash and minced garlic. Cook for 2 minutes until the mixture becomes fragrant.
04 - Pour in diced tomatoes with their juice, add drained white beans, broth, fresh thyme leaves, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
05 - Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes until the butternut squash is tender.
06 - Stir in chopped kale and ditalini pasta. Simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes until the pasta reaches al dente texture and kale becomes wilted.
07 - Remove the bay leaf from the pot. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish each serving with reserved pancetta, fresh parsley, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
