Monday, April 30, 2018

Baked Pasta In A Pork Ragu

  By: The Food Hunter

A classic Italian meal loaded with pork and kicked-up a notch with crushed red pepper. This dish serves 8 people and can easily be made in advance. It's the kind of meal you want to make when friends come over for dinner because it's guaranteed to be loved by all.



Baked Pasta In A Pork Ragu

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces pancetta,diced
2 pound pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
3/4 cup chopped carrots
3/4 cup chopped celery
6 large fresh thyme sprigs
6 large garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 cups dry red wine
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, chopped
1 1/4 pounds pasta
8-10 ounces of coarsely grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and sauté until browned and crispy. Transfer cooked pancetta, using a slotted spoon, to a bowl.

Season pork with salt and pepper. Add half of pork to the skillet you used for the pancetta; sauté until brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the pancetta. Repeat with remaining pork.

Add sausage to same pan. Sauté about 5 minutes, breaking up with back of a wooden spoon.

Add carrots, celery, thyme, garlic, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low; sauté until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

Add wine and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Add pancetta and pork with any accumulated juices and boil 2 minutes. Add canned tomatoes and juice. Cover and cook until pork is very tender, adjusting heat as needed to maintain gentle simmer and stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.

Uncover and spoon off fat from surface of sauce. Coarsely shred pork. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm over low heat before continuing.)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Oil a 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish or other 4-quart baking dish. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta and mix into sauce. Transfer to prepared dish and sprinkle both cheeses over top. Bake until heated through and golden, about 20 minutes.

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