Root Vegetable Minestrone With Bacon

• 5 center-cut bacon slices, chopped
• 1 1/3 cups chopped peeled butternut squash
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2/3 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped parsnip
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 4 teaspoons unsalted tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 2/3 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 1/4 cup uncooked ditalini pasta
• 3/4 cup unsalted cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in pan. Increase heat to medium-high. Add butternut squash and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) to drippings in pan; saute 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken stock, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in uncooked pasta; cook 10 minutes. Stir in cannellini beans, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until vegetables and pasta are tender. Divide soup evenly among 4 bowls; top evenly with bacon.
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center, butternut squash, onion, carrot, parsnip, celery, basil, thyme, garlic, pasta, beans, kosher salt, black pepper

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/root-vegetable-minestrone-bacon (may not work)