This classic Ina Garten recipe never disappoints! Winter Minestrone is a thick & hearty soup that feeds a crowd! It’s filled with chunky veggies, pasta, beans & spinach. A little pesto swirled in at the end makes it even better. So good topped with Parmesan and served with some crusty bread!
In this recipe, Butternut Squash and the classic mirepoix of onions, carrots & celery are added to sautéed pancetta. Once that cooks down, simply add diced tomatoes & chicken broth and let it simmer to achieve delicious veggie goodness! Finally, add wine, beans and tiny pasta to make this a true minestrone.
I used Ditalini pasta. They are tiny little pieces shaped like small tubes – see below. But any small pasta will work!
We love this classic @barefootcontessa recipe! I hope you do too!
Winter Minestrone
Course: SoupsCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy10
servings15
minutes45
minutes1
hourIngredients
4 oz. pancetta or chopped bacon
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
3 carrots – 1/2“ sliced
3 stalks celery – 1/2” sliced
2 1/2 cups diced peeled butternut squash
1 1/2 tbsp garlic – minced
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
28 oz. can chopped tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans
2 big handfuls fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons store-bought pesto
1 1/2 cups small pasta, such as ditalini or tubetti
Directions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over Medium-Low heat for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add chopped onions, celery, carrots, butternut squash, garlic & thyme. Cook over Medium heat, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of salt & 1 1/2 teaspoons of pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling water according to package directions.
- After pasta is cooked & drained, add to vegetables along with beans to the soup. When ready to serve, add the fresh spinach, and toss into soup with 2 big spoons. Continue cook just until the leaves are wilted. Finally, add the white wine and pesto. Taste and add salt & pepper if needed.
- Serve in large shallow bowls, along with slices of crusty bread if desired!
Notes
- Grab pre-chopped Butternut squash in the produce section to save yourself some time!
- Sliced baguette toasted with a little butter is the perfect garnish!
