Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Pancetta

Dice onion. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute for about 5 minutes until softened.

Meanwhile peel squash and slice in half lengthwise then crosswise into 1 inch half circles. Cut into pieces that are about 1 inch by 1 inch. Add diced squash to pan along with minced sage. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add chicken stock to the pan then cover with a lid, turn the heat to high, and bring to a boil.

While soup is finishing, slice pancetta into strips about 1/4-inch wide. Place in a hot saute pan over medium heat. Saute until pieces are crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Heat a few more tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat in a small pan. Add remaining additional sage leaves and fry until crispy. Remove leaves from oil and drain on paper towels.

When squash is tender, remove soup from heat and run through the blender working in batches. Return pureed soup to pan and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. To serve, ladle soup into bowl and top with a bit of crispy pancetta and some fried sage leaves.