Who doesn't love a good meat sauce!
The fact that this ragu is made not with beef but with pork, has wonderful dollops of Italian sausage and simmered for hours in red wine and crushed tomatoes, should be reason enough to get your blood pumping at the prospect of this ragu for Sunday dinner.
There's a reason this is Sunday dinner and not Monday dinner, per se. And that is because the meat needs to simmer for a solid two hours, till the meat is falling off the bone and the sauce thickens into this incredibly rich amalgamation of meat juices, wine and tomatoes.
You will however be amazed that such as short ingredient list can pack such a punch when it comes to the result.
Using an ever economical cut of meat such as pork butt (no relation to piggy bottom), the meat is cooked till it is falling off the proverbial bone, shreds easily and then simmered some more in the rich sauce. The surprising magic comes from the hot Italian sausage that adds incredible depth and flavor to the sauce and therefore mustn't be omitted.
Heaped over pasta and finished with freshly grated aged Parmigiana Reggiano cheese, Sunday dinner just got a little brighter!
Gather the ingredients,
3-1/2 lbs boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), 3/4 tbs salt for seasoning pork, 1 tsp black ground pepper for seasoning pork, 6 cloves garlic, peeled, 1 large + 1 small yellow onion (to yield at least 3 cups finely chopped), 1-1/2 cup dry red wine, 1 qty 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, 1 qty 15 oz can diced tomatoes, 3 dried bay leaves, 5 links hot Italian pork sausage & 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
To serve ~ 1 lb dried pasta such as penne, rigatoni or cavatappi & freshly grated Parmigiana-Reggiano, for serving
Pork butt: Cut away excess fat & skin, Cut into large 3-4" thick chunks. Rub the pork generously on both sides with salt and pepper and set aside.
Sausage: If still in it's casings, pull the meat and set aside in 1" clumps.
Onions: Peel, discard ends and skin and finely chop (to yield at least 2 cups)
Garlic: Crush and finely chop
For the Ragu:
Sear the meat on both sides until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer the pork to a platter.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and onion to the pot. Saute for about 5-8 mins, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent.
Increase to medium heat and add the wine allowing it to bubble & reduce for 2-3 minutes.
Add the crushed & diced tomatoes & bay leaves. Bring it to a simmer. Add the pork and arrange the sausage clumps around and in between the pork.
Bring to a constant simmer. Reduce to medium-low heat. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and cook for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until the pork is fall-apart-soft.
Cook's Note: Be sure to turn the meat over about every 30 minutes or so to prevent burning and evenly cook the meat.
Transfer the pork to a cutting board with tongs and allow it to cool for a few minutes.
Using two forks, shred the meat and return it to the sauce. Cook's Note: Be sure to discard any excess fat while shredding the meat.
Cook over low heat until the meat and sauce are heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings - salt and pepper.
When ready to serve,Pasta: bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente—you want it to still have some bite because it will continue to cook a bit while you’re tossing it with the ragù. Reserve about 1 cup of the hot pasta water and then drain the pasta. Toss the pasta with some of the ragù, adding a little hot pasta water if it seems a little dry. Serve the pasta with more ragù spooned over the top, garnished with freshly grated, aged Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Recipe for
Sicilian Style Pork & Sausage Ragu over Pasta
Preparation time - 30 min
Cooking time - 2 hours
Serves 4-6
Shopping list
3-1/2 lbs boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt)
3/4 tbs salt for seasoning pork
1 tsp black ground pepper for seasoning pork
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large + 1 small yellow onion to yield at least 3 cups, finely chopped
1-1/2 cup dry red wine
1 qty 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 qty 15 oz can diced tomatoes
3 dried bay leaves
5 links hot Italian pork sausage
2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
To serve ~
1 lb dried pasta such as penne, rigatoni or cavatappi
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
Preparation:
Pork butt: Cut away excess fat & skin, Cut into large 3-4" thick chunks. Rub the pork generously on both sides with salt and pepper and set aside.
Sausage: If still in it's casings, pull the meat and set aside in 1" clumps.
Onions: Peel, discard ends and skin and finely chop (to yield at least 2 cups)
Garlic: Crush and finely chop
Method: For the Ragu:Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot over medium-high heat until very hot.
Sear the meat on both sides until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer the pork to a platter.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and onion to the pot. Saute for about 5-8 mins, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent.
Increase to medium heat and add the wine allowing it to bubble & reduce for 2-3 minutes.
Add the crushed & diced tomatoes & bay leaves. Bring it to a simmer. Add the pork and arrange the sausage clumps around and in between the pork.
Bring to a constant simmer. Reduce to medium-low heat. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and cook for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until the pork is fall-apart-soft.
Cook's Note: Be sure to turn the meat over about every 30 minutes or so to prevent burning and evenly cook the meat.
Transfer the pork to a cutting board with tongs and allow it to cool for a few minutes.
Using two forks, shred the meat and return it to the sauce. Cook's Note: Be sure to discard any excess fat while shredding the meat.
Cook over low heat until the meat and sauce are heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings - salt and pepper.
When ready to serve,Pasta: bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente—you want it to still have some bite because it will continue to cook a bit while you’re tossing it with the ragù. Reserve about 1 cup of the hot pasta water and then drain the pasta. Toss the pasta with some of the ragù, adding a little hot pasta water if it seems a little dry. Serve the pasta with more ragù spooned over the top, garnished with freshly grated, aged Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Enjoy!
