Italian Braised Pork Shoulder Ragu (Print-Friendly Version)

Tender pork shoulder and sausage slowly braised in tomato sauce, tossed with pasta for hearty Italian comfort.

# What You Need:

→ For the Ragu

01 - 15 ml olive oil
02 - 900 g pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into large chunks
03 - Salt, to taste
04 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
05 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
06 - 1 carrot, finely chopped
07 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
08 - 240 ml dry red wine
09 - 795 g canned crushed tomatoes
10 - 795 g canned whole tomatoes, pureed
11 - 2 bay leaves
12 - 1 tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
13 - 1 tsp dried oregano or 1 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
14 - 225 g sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed

→ For the Pasta

15 - 900 g dried or fresh pasta, preferably thick noodles such as fettuccine

→ To Serve

16 - Shredded parmesan cheese, as desired

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Season pork shoulder pieces with salt and pepper. Once oil is shimmering, sear pork on all sides until deep golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer seared pork to a bowl and set aside.
02 - Lower heat to medium. Add chopped onion, carrot, and minced garlic to the pot with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
03 - Increase heat to medium-high, pour in red wine, and bring to a boil. Scrape up any browned bits from the pot. Let the wine boil for 5 minutes to reduce and concentrate the flavor.
04 - Stir in crushed tomatoes, pureed whole tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, and oregano. Mix thoroughly to combine.
05 - Return the pork shoulder to the pot. Break up sausage into small pieces and drop into the sauce. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 3 to 3.5 hours, stirring occasionally, until pork is tender and easily shreds.
06 - Remove pork shoulder chunks from the pot and shred using two forks. Return shredded pork to the sauce. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and herbs as necessary. Continue simmering uncovered on low heat.
07 - Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook to desired doneness. Reserve about 240 ml of pasta cooking water, then drain pasta.
08 - Return drained pasta to its pot. Add 120 ml reserved pasta water and several ladles of ragu. Simmer over low heat, tossing gently, until pasta is well coated and sauce is thickened, adding more pasta water if needed.
09 - Divide pasta and ragu among serving plates. Scatter shredded parmesan cheese over the top before serving.

# Important Notes:

01 - For deeper flavor and a bit of heat, substitute some or all of the sweet sausage with hot Italian sausage.
02 - This sauce can be prepared on the stovetop, in the oven at 165°C, or finished in a slow cooker. It also freezes well in portioned bags for future meals.
03 - For a thicker sauce, use solely crushed tomatoes; to loosen, rely on pureed whole tomatoes.

Return