| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 3 hr |
| Active: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- One 3-pound pork shoulder roast, cut into 3-inch chunks
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 8 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs rosemary (about 6 inches each)
- 1 bay leaf (fresh or dried)
- 2 medium Spanish onions, sliced thin (about 4 cups)
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 3-inch piece Parmesan rind
- Pinch red chile flakes
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus for drizzling
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus more as desired
- Arugula, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- 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.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 682 |
| Total Fat | 32 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 56 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Protein | 36 g |
| Cholesterol | 88 mg |
| Sodium | 1021 mg |
Reviews
This recipe is one of faves. Have made it A LOT. It has become one of our go-to comfort food meals on a cold day.
This was delicious!!! Made as written.
Delicious! So so good! It’s our favorite and go to recipe!
Everyone in my house loved this recipe! Took 4 hours to make, but well worth the time. Freezes well too.
Great recipe, simple, cheap way to feed a crowd. When simmering, it did take about 2.5 hours to tenderize, when you have a big puddle of grease on top, that means the pork has released, then you can take it out and shred. While the pork is out of the pot, skim the grease off the ragout. Then I add the pork back, cook the pasta, mix it all together and serve
I have made this recipe several times. The 1st time I made it, something was lacking. Maybe not tomatoey enough. Now the only change I make on the recipe is, when you’re sauteing the onion, add a can of tomato paste, some minced celery and carrots. Trust me, this improves the recipe! It’s delicious!
This time I used a beef roast (dad can’t have pork) and red wine , made exactly as written and it was wonderful. I have made it with pork and it’s just as excellent. This is a sound recipe. Love it!! I use much more fresh Parmesan than it says. Salt and Parm is definitely needed to bring the flavors together. So good! I served with dinner rolls. Also would be excellent with creamy polenta as another reviewer commented!
Delicious! No need for olive oil at the end. Make the day before
Followed recipe exactly with the exception of the simmering time, simmered on stove top for 3 hours. Pork shredded nicely, tasted great and everyone loved it.
Great recipe. I followed the directions explicitly for the ingredients but found that the pork took roughly double the posted cooking time to get to shredding state (about 3 1/2 hours). I cooked at the lowest possible simmer, so that may have had something to do with it. I also removed the cover for the last half hour or so to allow the sauce to thicken. This ragout works well for pasta but could also top rice, polenta, potatoes, etc.