Root Vegetable Minestrone with Bacon

Ingredients

• 0.3 teaspoon pepper black
• 1.3 cups butternut squash peeled chopped
• 0.8 cup .5 can cannellini beans unsalted rinsed drained
• 0.7 cup carrots chopped
• 0.5 cup celery chopped
• 2.7 cups chicken stock see unsalted
• 0.3 cup ditalini pasta uncooked
• 0.5 teaspoon basil dried
• 0.5 teaspoon thyme leaves dried
• 3  garlic cloves minced
• 0.3 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 cup onion chopped
• 0.5 cup parsnips chopped
• 5 slices center-cut bacon chopped
• 4 teaspoons tomato paste unsalted

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp.
2. Remove bacon from pan; reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in pan. Increase heat to medium-high.
3. Add butternut squash and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) to drippings in pan; saut 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. 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.