Pork Ragu Rigatoni
The ultimate comfort food in our house will always be pasta.
This is the perfect dinner in our house any night of the week, but it just screams comfort food in the winter!
Let's talk about the pasta first. I feel like people put a lot of thought and energy into the sauce, and the pasta itself does not get the attention it deserves. As someone who makes homemade pasta regularly, I understand it truly is a labor of love. Not everyone has the time, or the desire to make pasta from scratch, but why work so hard chopping, sautéing, simmering the perfect sauce, and then use any mass-produced pasta?
This bag was gifted to me by a friend that visited both my hometown and one of my favorite places in that town, Eatley Chicago. If you’re near any city that has an Eatley, I suggest you stop in, stroll around, eat something amazing, have a glass of wine, and buy this pasta! It is also available online!
A few simple things to remember when cooking pasta. First, salt the water like the sea, second, cook to al dente (always less time than the box recommends), reserve a cup of that starchy water; it's essential to building a good sauce. Trust me, this one is exceptional, it is the next best thing to homemade!
Now, let's move on to the Pork! Ragù is a class of Italian pasta sauces made with ground, minced or shredded meat, vegetables (soffrito), and, occasionally, tomatoes. Similar yet slightly different than the more popular Bolognese sauce. There are many variations of both versions, but both follow the same structure of ground meat, a soffrito, a bit of tomato, and long, slow cook time.
Whenever I come across a sale on pork shoulder, I always buy several of them and butcher the pork with intention. For example, this recipe requires three pounds of pork cut into chunks. I make this recipe several times between Fall and Winter. If I can find a pork shoulder close to nine pounds, I can prep for three future dinners of Pork Ragu. I butcher once and separate the cubed pork into three separate freezer bags. Label your bags! I have gotten much better at this over the years, but I still occasionally find a mystery ingredient in my freezer! Yikes! I like to write the contents, weight, and date. Also include the name of the recipe that you're planning on making with the pork. For example, 3lb pork shoulder, Pork Ragu, 01-2021. It's easy to build a weekly menu when you know what you have in the freezer!
This recipe reminds me of Sunday suppers growing up in an Italian family where everyone would gather around the table together. This Bolognese has a deep rich flavor with plenty of meat to make this one of my favorite comfort foods to serve to my family as the colder temperatures settle in around us.
Pork Ragu Rigatoni
Ingredients
Instructions
- Dry the pork well and sprinkle it on all sides with salt and pepper. Let seasoned pork sit at room temperature while heating the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. The pan should be very hot, but not smoking, you’re looking to sear each piece of pork. Brown the pork on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Do not crowd the pan. Remove the pork to a plate and set aside. Keep any oil or juices in the pan. If no oil remains, add additional vegetable oil and reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the onions and salt. Sauté until onions are translucent making sure to stir and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Continue stirring so the garlic does not burn. Deglaze with the wine and cook until reduced, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the beef broth, crushed tomatoes, Parmesan rind, chile flakes, and the herbs (note that I tied my thyme together with kitchen twine so I could easily pull it out when the sauce is done, the bay leaf is loose in the sauce) and bring to a simmer. Return the pork to the pot, tucking it in under the sauce. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the pork is fork-tender, about 2 hours. Depending on your stove and your pot this time may vary.
- Remove the pork and shred into bite-size pieces using two forks. Remove the thyme, bay leaf, and any portion of the Parmesan rind that is remaining from the sauce, and add the shredded pork back to the pot.
- Follow directions on your pasta package making sure you are cooking to al dente, at least 2 minutes sooner than recommended on the package. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. Add pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, about 2 minutes, adding pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Serve topped with grated Parmesan.
If you try this recipe, please share a photo so I can see your dish! I hope this recipe becomes a go-to comfort food in your home too.
Go make some memories in your kitchen!
