Minestrone

This was amazing!  It is loosely adapted on the Barefoot Contessa's minestrone.  Serve over shredded spinach and spatzle or pasta.

• Good olive oil
• 8 oz pancetta or bacon (I used Kirkland)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 to 4 carrots, ½-inch-diced
• 1 large turnip, ½-inch-diced
• 2 leeks, halved and sliced into 1/8" pieces
• 2½ cups butternut squash, ½-inch-diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 (26-ounce) can or box diced tomatoes, such as Pomi
• 6 to 8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups cooked small pasta, such as tubetti
• 8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
• 1" parmesan rind

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. Add the onions, carrots, leeks, turnips, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
2. Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, parmesan rind, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1½ teaspoons pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
3. Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and heat through. The soup should be quite thick but if it’s too thick, I add more chicken stock.
4. To serve: place shredded spinach in a bowl, add cooked pasta or spatzle, then ladle soup on top of it.