Description
Hearty pork ragu brings comfort straight from an Italian kitchen to your dinner table, warming your soul with rich, slow-simmered goodness. Tender meat melts into a thick tomato sauce that hugs pasta perfectly, creating a meal your family will savor with deep satisfaction.
Ingredients
Scale
Meats:
- 1 pound pork shoulder, cut into cubes
- 1 pound pork belly, cut into cubes
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
- 6 ounces prosciutto ends, cut into cubes
Aromatics and Vegetables:
- 1 cup red onions
- ½ cup carrots
- 1 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds, ground
- 4 tablespoons Calabrian crushed chile peppers
Liquids and Seasonings:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring the rack is in the center position.
- Coat 1 pound of pork shoulder and 1 pound of pork belly cubes with 1 ½ teaspoons ground fennel seeds, massaging the spice into the meat.
- Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the fennel-seasoned pork cubes until deeply golden brown, about 4-5 minutes per side. Drain excess liquid to prevent steaming.
- Add 6 oz cubed prosciutto ends to the pot, continuing to brown the meat for another 3-4 minutes.
- Transfer the browned meat to a separate plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
- Cook 1 pound of bulk Italian sausage in the same pot, breaking it into small pieces until fully browned, approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Pulse ½ cup carrots and 1 cup red onions in a food processor until finely chopped.
- Remove the sausage and leave 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot. Sauté the vegetable mixture for 3-4 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom.
- Stir in 3 tablespoons tomato paste and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until the paste deepens in color.
- Pour 1 cup white wine into the pot, allowing it to simmer and reduce by half.
- Add 2 (28-ounce) cans of crushed tomatoes, the reserved meats, 4 tablespoons Calabrian crushed chile peppers, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then cover and transfer to the preheated oven.
- Braise for 2 ½-3 hours, until the pork becomes incredibly tender and easily falls apart when prodded with a fork.
- Remove from the oven and let the ragu rest for 10-15 minutes before serving over your favorite pasta, garnishing with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
- The fennel adds a delicate anise flavor that complements the rich, fatty pork beautifully, so don’t skip this spice.
- Searing the meat creates deep flavor through caramelization, so take time to get a good brown crust on each piece.
- Use a heavy Dutch oven that can go from stovetop to oven for even, consistent braising and maximum flavor development.
- For a lighter version, swap pork belly for leaner pork loin, but know the dish will be less rich and slightly less tender.
- Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 45 minutes - 3 hours 20 minutes
- Category: Pork
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 to 8
- Calories: 464 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 23 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg