Minestrone a.k.a. Ed's Good Soup

This recipe is courtesy of my beautiful sister and her hubby, who are always cooking up fun things in the kitchen.  It is the perfect soup to have on a cold night or would be delicious for a weekday lunch.

Ok, so technically this is Ina's recipe, but Ed made it and liked it so it is now referred to in our house as "Ed's Good Soup."  This soup is actually better after it sits so I recommend cooking all the way through Step 4 and then allowing the soup to cool and refrigerating it overnight.  When you are ready to serve, reheat the soup, then continue on to finish it off in Step 5.  We served this on Superbowl Sunday with some crunchy bread and sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

Minestrone a.k.a. Ed's Good Soup (adapted from Ina Garten's recipe)
4 ounces pancetta, 1/2-inch-diced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
2 cups diced carrots
2 cups diced celery
2 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-diced) peeled butternut squash
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
2 teaspoons dry thyme
1 (26-ounce) can or box diced tomatoes
6 cups vegetable stock (recipe here!)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked orzo
8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup good dry white wine
2 tablespoons store-bought pesto
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

1.  Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.

2.  Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

3.  Add the tomatoes, wine, and stock, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper to the pot

(*please note, the last time Ed made this he used 1 1/2 TABLESPOONS of pepper - I do not recommend using tablespoons when the recipe calls for teaspoons - use 1 1/2 teaspoons*).

4.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. 

5.  When you are ready to serve, add the spinach and cook just until the spinach leaves are wilted and stir in the pesto.

We did not give any to Penny but I included a picture of her anyway!

Editor's Note:  Penny is my favorite niece because she always seems to be giving my sister the same annoyed look that I am always giving my sister. 

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