The BEST Pork Ragu Recipe
User Reviews
4.3
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
2 hrs 30 mins
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Total Time
3 hrs
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Servings
10
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Calories
660 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
The BEST Pork Ragu Recipe
Description
The recipe begins by seasoning and searing boneless pork shoulder pieces to develop caramelized surfaces. Aromatic diced onion, carrot, celery, and garlic are sautéed to form a flavorful base, then tomato paste is cooked in before deglazing with wine. A blend of dried herbs including thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano, and fennel is added alongside crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth, forming a hearty braising liquid.
The pork slowly cooks in the oven until tender enough to shred, infusing the sauce with rich meat flavors. The final ragù is creamy and robust when combined with egg pappardelle pasta, finished with heavy cream and grated Parmesan that enrich the texture and flavor. The sauce coats the noodles evenly, creating a comforting and satisfying main course.
Serving suggestions include topping with extra Parmesan and choosing pasta shapes like pappardelle, fettuccine, rigatoni, or even gnocchi for variety. The meat's long cooking time softens herbs and melds flavors thoroughly.
Wine can be red or white based on preference; the alcohol cooks off during braising. Fresh herbs may substitute dried, with increased quantity. Broth can be swapped for chicken or beef stock. Pork shoulder labeled as Boston butt with skin removed is recommended for best texture.
Ingredients
For the Pork Ragu
- 3 lb pork shoulder see note 1, boneless, skin removed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 onion diced, large
- 2 carrot peeled & diced
- 2 celery diced, stalk
- 6 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup wine - see note 2
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 ½ teaspoons thyme see note 3, dried
- 1 ½ teaspoons sage see note 3, dried ground
- 1 ½ teaspoons rosemary see note 3, dried
- 1 teaspoon oregano see note 3, dried
- 1 teaspoon fennel dried, ground
- 1 crushed tomatoes 28oz/800g can
- 2 cups vegetable broth see note 4, or stock
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
To serve the pasta (assuming you are using all of the ragu)
- 1.65 lb egg pappardelle pasta see note 5, dried
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup Parmesan Cheese grated, plus more to serve
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
- Use either red or white wine for braising; alcohol cooks off, leaving flavor behind.
- Fresh herbs can be used instead of dried—use about one tablespoon each fresh per teaspoon dried.
- Chicken or beef broth may replace vegetable broth if preferred.
- Boneless pork shoulder (also called Boston butt) with skin removed is ideal; save the skin for crackling.
- Other pasta types like fettuccine, rigatoni, or gnocchi work well with the ragù as alternatives to pappardelle.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition 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% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.3
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