The BEST Pork Ragu Recipe

Name: The BEST Pork Ragu Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 10 serving
Ingredients: 3 lb boneless pork shoulder, skin removed; 2 teaspoons salt; ¼ cup olive oil; 2 large onions; 2 carrots; 2 stalk celery; 6 cloves garlic; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 cup wine; 2 bay leaves; 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme; 1 ½ teaspoons dried ground sage; 1 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried ground fennel; 1 28oz/800g can crushed tomatoes; 2 cups vegetable broth or stock; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper; 1.65 lb dried egg pappardelle pasta; 1 tablespoon salt; ¾ cup heavy cream; ¾ cup grated parmesan (plus more to serve)

User Reviews

4.3

180 reviews

Good

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Total Time
3 hrs
Servings
10
Calories
660 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Italian

The BEST Pork Ragu Recipe

Carmen Warren

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This Pork Ragu is the ultimate winter comfort food. It is hearty and warming, packed with flavor, and as it cooks in the oven, this is an easy meal that delivers big flavors. The pork is succulent, juicy, and fall-apart tender. While the rich tomato sauce is rich and flavorful. This is the kind of food you want to eat on a cold winter's night. Perfect served over pasta for a meal the whole family will love. With this recipe and my top tips, you'll be eating like an Italian.

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Ingredients

Servings

For the Pork Ragu

3 lb boneless pork shoulder, skin removed - see note 1
2 teaspoons salt
¼ cup olive oil
2 large onions diced
2 carrots peeled & diced
2 stalk celery diced
6 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup wine - see note 2
2 bay leaves
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme - see note 3
1 ½ teaspoons dried ground sage - see note 3
1 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary - see note 3
1 teaspoon dried oregano - see note 3
1 teaspoon dried ground fennel
1 28oz/800g can crushed tomatoes
2 cups vegetable broth or stock - see note 4
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

To serve the pasta (assuming you are using all of the ragu)

1.65 lb dried egg pappardelle pasta - see note 5
1 tablespoon salt
¾ cup heavy cream
¾ cup grated parmesan (plus more to serve)

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Instructions

To cook the Pork Ragu

Preheat oven to 325˚F/160ºC.
Cut the pork shoulder/pork butt into six pieces and season all over with salt.3 lb / 1.36 kg boneless pork shoulder, skin removed2 teaspoons salt
Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pour in the oil, and once hot, sear pork for 4-5 minutes on each side. Leaving the oil in the pan, remove the pork from the pan and set it aside in a bowl.¼ cup / 4 tablespoons olive oil
Reduce the heat to low, add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery and sauté for 15 minutes until colored but not burn.2 large onions2 carrots2 stalk celery
Add the chopped garlic and sauté for a minute.6 cloves garlic
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.2 tablespoons tomato paste
Turn the heat back to high and add the wine scraping at the bottom to remove any browned bits.1 cup / 250 ml wine
Add in the bay leaves, thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano, and fennel. Then stir in the canned tomatoes, broth and salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.2 bay leaves1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme1 ½ teaspoons dried ground sage1 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary1 teaspoon dried oregano1 teaspoon dried ground fennel1 28oz/800g can crushed tomatoes2 cups / 500 ml vegetable broth or stock½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon black pepper
Add the pork back into the pan, along with any juices that have collected. Cover the pan and place it on the bottom shelf of the oven.
Cook the pork for 2-2 ½ hours.
Remove the pan from the oven and use two forks to shred the pork chunks. Leave it as chunky or a fine as you like. Stir the pork into the sauce.
At this point, the sauce can be cooled and refrigerated, or frozen. (see note 6)

To serve the pasta (assuming you are using all of the ragu)

Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the salt and cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the packet suggests.1 tablespoon salt1.65 lb / 750 g dried egg pappardelle pasta
Reserve 2 cups of the pasta cooking water, drain the pasta and add it to the dutch oven of ragu.
Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Bring to a simmer and stir constantly for 2 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. If the sauce starts to look dry, use some reserved pasta cooking water to bring the consistency to your liking.¾ cup / 180 ml heavy cream¾ cup / 75 g grated parmesan (plus more to serve)
Serve with extra parmesan.

Notes

The recipe calls for a cup of wine. You can use red or white for this recipe. I have cooked it many times with each, and it tastes great either way. It cooks for a long tine so the alcohol burns off. But if you don't wish to use alcohol then replace with extra broth.
I have suggested dried herbs in the recipe card; these will soften and give you a hearty, rich flavor due to the long cooking time. You can use fresh herbs if you have them. Use about 1 tablespoon of each fresh herb in place of the teaspoon of dried.
Feel free to swap that for chicken or beef broth.
Boneless pork shoulder is also sold as pork butt or Boston Butt. It is often sold in netting (with or without skin). If your pork comes with the skin on, you will want to remove that. Save it for making pork crackling bites!
The recipe calls for a cup of wine. You can use red or white for this recipe. I have cooked it many times with each, and it tastes great either way. It cooks for a long tine so the alcohol burns off. But if you don't wish to use alcohol then replace with extra broth.
I have suggested dried herbs in the recipe card; these will soften and give you a hearty, rich flavor due to the long cooking time. You can use fresh herbs if you have them. Use about 1 tablespoon of each fresh herb in place of the teaspoon of dried.
Feel free to swap that for chicken or beef broth.
Feel free to swap the pappardelle for fettuccine, or a chunky shape like rigatoni or paccheri. Gnocchi is also delicious

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 660kcal (33%) Carbohydrates 63g (21%) Protein 46g (92%) Fat 23g (35%) Saturated Fat 9g (45%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 10g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 176mg (59%) Sodium 867mg (36%) Potassium 983mg (28%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 2666IU (53%) Vitamin C 8mg (9%) Calcium 169mg (17%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 660 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	660kcal	33%
Carbohydrates	63g	21%
Protein	46g	92%
Fat	23g	35%
Saturated Fat	9g	45%
Polyunsaturated Fat	3g	18%
Monounsaturated Fat	10g	50%
Trans Fat	1g	50%
Cholesterol	176mg	59%
Sodium	867mg	36%
Potassium	983mg	21%
Fiber	4g	16%
Sugar	6g	12%
Vitamin A	2666IU	53%
Vitamin C	8mg	9%
Calcium	169mg	17%
Iron	4mg	22%