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Spicy Pork,
Fennel and Eggplant Ragu
(for 1# of pasta,
cooked)
Once you have savored
this robust, complex sauce you will want to put it on all your
pasta. It also makes fabulous lasagna. Mixed with cooked
rigatoni, penne or ziti, it can also be topped with
cheese and baked. This recipe makes enough to adequately sauce one
pound of pasta when cooked. We recommend Isernio’s hot Italian
sausage for this, but try the flavorful Lamb Sausage for a
delightful variation. This sauce is even better if made the day
before you are going to use it – or at least a few hours. |
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Ingredients |
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2 |
tbsps. olive oil |
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2 |
slices pancetta,
thinly sliced |
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1 |
lb. pork
shoulder, boneless, cut into 1" chunks |
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2 |
links Isernio's Hot
Italian Sausage, removed from casings, crumbled |
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1 |
onion, medium, diced |
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1 |
fennel bulb, trimmed,
cored, finely diced (fronds reserved and chopped) |
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1 |
medium (approx. 12 ozs.)
eggplant, cubed 3/8", salted, rinsed, drained |
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2 |
garlic cloves, large,
peeled, thinly sliced |
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2 |
bay leaves, preferably
fresh |
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1 |
tbsp. fennel seeds |
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salt to taste |
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2 |
small dried red
chilies, broken in half |
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1 |
cup red wine,
strong, dry, red |
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1 |
35-oz. can plum
tomatoes, finely chopped, with juice |
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a handful basil
leaves, fresh |
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1 |
tbsp. balsamic vinegar
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Method |
 In
a large Dutch oven or flameproof casserole with a lid, heat
olive oil over medium heat. |
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Add
pancetta, pork shoulder& sausage. Sauté until the meat is
lightly browned all over, at least 10 minutes (this is
critical to adding flavor to the ragu, so do not skimp on
this step). |
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Add
the onion, fennel and fronds, eggplant, garlic, bay leaves,
fennel seeds, a pinch of salt and the chilies. Sauté until
the vegetables start to soften, about another 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat at any time if the skillet bottom gets too
brown. |
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Add
the red wine and let it bubble for a few minutes. Add the
tomatoes and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat to
low, cover the pot, and simmer for about 2 hours, or until
the ragu has good body and the pork meat is starting to
shred. Skim the surface of the ragu once or twice during the
cooking, depending on the fattiness of your meat. |
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Add
the basil and a splash of balsamic vinegar (this will
sharpen all the flavors). Taste for seasoning. Add more salt
if needed. Set aside and keep warm while cooking pasta. Or,
if making ahead, cool and refrigerate in a well-covered
container. The sauce can also be frozen and used later.
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ISERNIO'S
5600 Seventh Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98108
Tel.: (206) 762-6207 Toll-free: 1-888-495-8674
Fax: (206) 762-5259 Email:
info@isernio.com
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