Tagliatelle with Pork Ragu

 

Pork Ragu ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Kosher salt

1 pound boneless country pork ribs

2 cloves garlic minced

1 large carrot, thinly sliced

1 celery stalk, thinly sliced

1 small onion, diced

4 small sweet baby peppers, diced

3/4 cup red wine

1 Tbls dried thyme

½ Tbls dried oregano

Large pinch crushed red pepper

One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes in thick puree

tagliatelli pasta

Grated Parmesan, for serving

Pasta Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled

3 large eggs

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, salt both sides of the ribs, then add to the pot and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, carrot, celery, onion, bell pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir to combine and then partially cover with a lid. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft, about 6 minutes. Add the wine, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until most of the wine has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Nestle in the browned ribs (and any accumulated juices), then add the crushed tomatoes and 1 1/2 cups of water (it's nice to rinse the tomato can out with water and then use 1 1/2 cups of that "tomato water"). Place covered Dutch oven in preheated oven and cook for 2 hours until pork is tender. 

While pork is cooking make the pasta.

Place the flour on a clean work surface and make a nest. Add the eggs, olive oil, and salt to the center and use a fork to gently break up the eggs, keeping the flour walls intact as best as you can. Use your hands to gently bring the flour inward to incorporate. Continue working the dough with your hands to bring it together into a shaggy ball.

Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes. At the beginning, the dough should feel pretty dry, but stick with it! It might not feel like it’s going to come together, but after 8-10 minutes of kneading, it should become cohesive and smooth. If the dough still seems too dry, sprinkle your fingers with a tiny bit of water to incorporate. If it’s too sticky, dust more flour onto your work surface. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

Use a pasta machine to roll out the pasta.  I usually roll it to the next to the last setting.  Cut the noodles into large strips. 

Remove the pieces of pork and let them cool slightly; finely shred the meat, then stir back into the sauce. The sauce can now be served or it can be cooled down, refrigerated and reheated the next day.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook 3 to 4 minutes.

Divide the cooked pasta among bowls and top each with some ragout. Drizzle each bowl with a little olive oil, top with a generous amount of Parmesan.