Leftover Pulled Pork Ragu
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
10 mins
-
Cook Time
30 mins
-
Total Time
40 mins
-
Servings
4 -6 servings
-
Calories
676 kcal
-
Course
Main Course
-
Cuisine
Italian
Leftover Pulled Pork Ragu
Description
Leftover Pulled Pork Ragu combines finely diced carrot, celery, and onion gently cooked into a soffrito that forms a sweet and savory flavor base. Red wine is added and reduced to infuse aromatics, then tomato paste and passata contribute a concentrated tomato richness. The mixture simmers to deepen the sauce, then chopped pulled pork warms through, melding with the sauce for a meat-rich ragu. Tossing the finished sauce with bucatini allows long pasta strands to hold onto the thick, tomatoey sauce well, creating a balanced dish.
Cooking the soffrito slowly and reducing the wine fully are key steps to avoid harshness and deepen complexity. The pulsed tomato puree gives a smooth, thick texture in less time than crushed canned tomatoes. This ragu works well as a filling pasta sauce for dinner or lunch, especially when you have leftover meat to use up.
Serve with freshly grated Parmesan if desired for a touch of saltiness. The ragu can be cooled and refrigerated or frozen in airtight containers without pasta. When reheating frozen sauce, fully defrost and warm on the stove, adding a splash of water as needed to loosen it.
Prepare the soffrito slowly over medium heat to bring out sweetness without browning too fast.Choose a quality brand of passata or sieved tomatoes for better flavor and less acidity.Chop leftover pulled pork into smaller pieces for even distribution in the sauce.This sauce pairs nicely with long pasta shapes like bucatini or pappardelle, but can be used with any pasta.Store leftover sauce without pasta to preserve texture and reheat thoroughly before serving.
Ingredients
- 1 carrot finely diced (1/2 cup)
- 1 celery finely diced (1/2 cup)
- 1/2 onion finely diced (1/2 cup)
- 2 cups pulled pork chopped (300g, leftover
- 1/2 cup red wine (125ml)
- 2 cups passata 500g, sieved tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1.5 cups water (375ml)
- 14 oz bucatini 400g, or long pasta of choice
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente (according to packet instructions). Heat olive oil in a large pan and add the diced carrot, celery, and onion, cook until soft and translucent, around 10 to 15 mins.
- Then add the red wine and reduce by half or until the smell of wine has disappeared.
- Add the tomato paste, passata (pureed tomatoes) and 1 cup of water rinsed out from the passata can or jar, stir. Simmer the sauce down on a medium heat for another 10 to 15 minutes
- Once the sauce has reduced add the leftover pulled pork to the sauce and leave on the heat for another 5 minutes until heated through then add cooked pasta and toss to coat.
Notes
- Slow cooking the soffrito gently softens vegetables and builds rich flavor; avoid rushing this step.
- Using high-quality passata significantly improves the sauce's taste and balances acidity.
- Fully reduce the red wine so that its flavor integrates smoothly without harshness.
- Chop the leftover pulled pork into bite-sized pieces for better sauce coverage.
- Long pasta shapes like bucatini hold the ragu sauce effectively, but feel free to use other types.
- The ragu freezes well without the cooked pasta; reheat until steaming hot, adding water to loosen as needed.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4-6 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 676 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 676kcal | 34% |
| Carbohydrates | 111g | 37% |
| Protein | 30g | 60% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 50mg | 17% |
| Sodium | 802mg | 33% |
| Potassium | 943mg | 20% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 28g | 56% |
| Vitamin A | 3470IU | 69% |
| Vitamin C | 18.5mg | 21% |
| Calcium | 117mg | 12% |
| Iron | 4.9mg | 27% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
