Fall Minestrone with Butternut Squash (Printable)

A comforting bowl of autumn vegetables, white beans, and pasta in a savory broth.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 4 oz pancetta, diced

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
08 - 2 cups kale, stems removed and chopped
09 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with juice

→ Beans and Pasta

10 - 1 can (14 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed
11 - 1 cup ditalini pasta

→ Broth and Seasonings

12 - 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
13 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
16 - Salt to taste
17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
18 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

# How-To:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook until crisp, approximately 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving rendered fat in pot.
02 - Add onion, carrots, and celery to remaining fat. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
03 - Stir in butternut squash and garlic, cooking for 2 minutes until fragrant.
04 - Add diced tomatoes with juice, white beans, broth, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
05 - Cover and cook for 20 minutes until butternut squash is tender.
06 - Stir in kale and pasta. Simmer uncovered for 8-10 minutes until pasta reaches al dente and kale wilts.
07 - Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with reserved pancetta, fresh parsley, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like comfort but comes together in an hour, so you're not stuck hovering over the stove all evening.
  • The butternut squash becomes sweet and tender while the kale adds a subtle earthiness that somehow feels seasonal without being fussy.
  • Pancetta gives you that savory depth that makes people think you spent all day on this, when really you just got lucky with timing.
02 -
  • Don't add the pasta too early or it'll turn to mush before everything else is ready, so save it for the very last stretch when the squash is already tender.
  • If you're making this vegetarian, smoked paprika adds a surprising savory depth that makes you not miss the pancetta at all, and vegetable broth does the heavy lifting just as well as chicken broth.
03 -
  • Cut your butternut squash into small cubes rather than large chunks so every spoonful has some, and it softens evenly without any hard centers lurking in the pot.
  • If you don't have fresh thyme, dried thyme works perfectly fine, just use half the amount because dried herbs are more concentrated and potent than fresh ones.
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