There is no better smell that is pure comfort to me than when I have a big huge pot of gravy simmering on the stove for Sunday Gravy. (My gravy is your marinara sauce). Growing up this was one of the happiest times as a girl, knowing I would be eating my Grandmother’s meatballs and having a feast of pasta, meats, and bread.
These days my kidlets are excited when they smell the gravy simmering the same way I was. One of the things I love to make is a ragu. I think the pork in this sauce is so reminiscent of Italian food of my youth. It makes me so happy to be able to keep this tradition alive for my children and I just can’t wait for the day that I become a Nona to share this with my grandchildren, God willing. For now I am perfectly content to share this with my kidlets and anyone else who shows up for dinner!
Slow roasting the pork in the tomatoes, garlic, and red wine, makes for such a rich, deep, flavorful taste that is the perfect accompaniment for the pappardelle. You can serve this over rigitoni but I just adore the pappardelle and it screams traditional Italian to me!
This is such a low fuss dish that tastes like it took some doing. No one has to know you barely broke a sweat, to simmer this to perfection! It’s our little secret!
Give this one a try for your next no fuss, all fun Sunday Supper, this Slow Simmered Pork Ragu with Pappardelle is going to be a hit!
Sinfully,
Susan xoxo
Slow Simmered Pork Ragu with Pappardelle
A slow cooked, Italian pork supper that is rich, flavorful, and tastes amazing served over pappardelle pasta!
Credit: CrazySexySavor.com
Season generously with salt and pepper. Cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes. On the bone is fine, remove before shredding.
It’s so not pretty, but my knife skills are blazin’! Carrots, onion, and garlic.
This is the sear you want to see. Let them do their thing and don’t move them around too early or you will not get all this loveliness! You want this color and you want the flavor!!
After you sear the pork, saute the veg and let it get soft. Add in red wine, and tomato paste. Let it simmer a minute or two, add some sugar, and mix well. Add in the hand crushed whole tomatoes with their juice, add spices, and mix well. Add pork back in and let simmer about 2 1/2 to 3 hours partially covered.
It is a light red in the beginning but will get darker and richer as it simmers.
Time to shred. Transfer to cutting board, take two forks and get busy shredding.
Rich and lovely, so concentrated with flavor at this stage. Just waiting on the pappardelle.
Dinner is served! Top with some Pecorino Romano cheese freshly grated, and some fresh chopped parsley!
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. of pork butt, skin removed, cubed bone in is fine, you can remove before serving
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 3 tbsp. of tomato paste
- 1 large can (35 oz.) whole tomatoes crushed by hand
- 1/2 cup of dry red wine, I used a Pinot Noir
- 1 1/2 tsp. of dried rosemary
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 tsps. of Italian seasoning
- 2 tsps. of sugar
- Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste
- EVOO
Directions
- Remove pork skin, and cut up into 1 1/2 inch chunks. Season with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or sauce pan over medium high heat, add some EVOO, and begin to sear pork. This should take about five minutes per side. Do not crowd pot, work in batches, set browned pork aside. When all the pork is seared, lower to simmer, add in onion, garlic, and carrots, cook until soft about three minutes or so.
- Add in tomatoe paste, and about 2 tsps. of sugar. Mix well, add red wine, tomatoes, and spices, add back in the pork and let simmer for at least 2 1/2 hours to meld flavors and slow cook pork. Partially cover pork ragu as it simmers, stirring periodically.
- After about 2 1/2 hours, remove meat to cutting board. In another pot, add cold water and begin to boil for the pappardelle. Meanwhile, begin to shred pork, as you would for pulled pork, using two forks. Add back to gravy, and let simmer on low as the pasta cooks. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta.
- Transfer to serving platter, or a vessel you chose, top with pork ragu and freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese and chopped Italian parsley. Serve immediately. Mangia!
CRAZYSEXYSAVOR 