Pork Ragu Over Penne Recipes

PORK RAGU WITH PENNE

Steps:

• Roughly chop spring onions, carrots and celery sticks. Add to a high powered blender or food processor along with the deseeded chili. Blitz it until it becomes a chunky paste. If you're using a food processor, don't worry about pre-chopping.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet/frying pan. When the oil is hot, add the chunky vegetable paste. Cook 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
• In a mixing bowl: add the pork, 1 teaspoon salt, fennel and oregano. Mix until thoroughly combined.
• Add the pork mixture to the frying pan with the vegetable paste and brown the meat on a medium heat, about 5 minutes.
• Fill large pot of water 2/3 of the way full and add 1 tablespoon sea salt. Bring the water to a boil and then carefully add in the pasta. Cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente - springy & chewy & not mushy. It should take about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir often. Gluten free pasta likes to clump so you really need to keep it moving to prevent it from sticking together.
• While the pasta is cooking return to your ragu. Add in the vinegar, garlic, black pepper, chopped tomatoes + 1 cup of water and let simmer for 10 minutes on a medium-low heat.

PENNE WITH PORK RAGOUT

Steps:

• Dry the pork well and sprinkle it on all sides with 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt and the pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, brown the pork on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the pork to a plate and set aside. While the pork is browning, tie the thyme, rosemary and bay leaf into a bundle using butcher's twine.
• Once all of the pork has been browned, reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil no oil remains in the pot. Add the onions and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring and scraping up any browned bits. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and cook until reduced to nearly dry, 6 to 10 minutes. Add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, Parmesan rind, chile flakes and the herb bundle 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 1 hour 45 minutes.
• Remove the pork and shred into bite-size pieces using two forks. Remove the herb bundle from the sauce and add the pork back to the pot. Stir in the olive oil and half of the grated Parmesan. Keep warm over low heat.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne for about 1 or 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain and add the pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, about 2 minutes, adding a ladle of pasta water as needed. Serve topped with the remaining grated Parmesan, or more as desired, and a drizzle of olive oil. Garnish with a few leaves of baby arugula, if using.

PORK RAGU OVER PENNE

Steps:

• Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper and brown it on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. While the pork is browning, add the celery, carrots, and onion to the bowl of a slow cooker. Put the pork on top of the vegetables and add the tomatoes and garlic. Place into the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
• Remove the pork to a cutting board or sheet pan. Pour the vegetables and liquid from the slow cooker bowl into a saute pan over medium heat, and mash with a fork. Add the tomato paste to the pan sauce and stir to incorporate. Shred the pork, add it to the vegetables, and let this simmer, uncovered, while you cook the pasta (save 2 cups of the ragu for the Round 2 Recipe Lasagna Roll Ups).
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne, stir, and cover the pot. When it returns to a boil, remove the cover and stir it again. Cook until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. (Save 1 cup of pasta for the Online Round 2 Recipe Savory Noodle Pie.) Put the pasta into a serving platter, and pour the ragu over top. Serve immediately, garnished with basil leaves and Parmesan.