Apple Pork Ragu with Pappardelle

Today is Sunday.

I am 100% Italian...or at least I was until I did the DNA spit test, then I became an assortment of things. But for all intents and purposes, all my ancestors are from the land where food is king, and I definitely inherited this mentality. In a nod to my Italian upbringing of having spaghetti with gravy every single Sunday afternoon of my life, I often make pasta on Sunday nights. I try not to make carbs any other night that I cook, perhaps in a nod to the day in high school when I found out about the evils of carbs and almost had heart failure. But if I am in a bind, rice or hot dog buns have been known to happen on a Tuesday. No one’s perfect.

I think I must have used up all my taste for gravy (marinara) in my first 24 years because now I literally never make it. I like to have a little more fun with my pasta. Oh God I hope my mom doesn’t see this. Liz and her wild pasta ideas. I still love you Mama!

In a New Year organizational frenzy, I came across lots of old recipes, including Stephanie Izard’s pasta recipe below, and decided I had enough of the ingredients on hand to make it work. I had a one-pound pack of pork so I sort of remembered to add about 25% more onto all the quantities. What does one do with a quarter pack of raw pork in their fridge anyways? I suppose you could throw it in a cast iron skillet and scramble up some eggs and serve it for breakfast. That would be good.

Reprinted with permission from Girl in the Kitchen by Stephanie Izard.

Apple Pork Ragu with Pappardelle

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tsp. olive oil

¾ lb. ground pork

2 strips bacon, chopped

½ cup diced onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 apples, preferably Honeycrisp, peeled and cut into quarter-inch slices I used Gala.

½ cup dry white wine Keeping a cheap bottle of white wine in the fridge just for cooking is a great idea. Don't drink it.

1 15oz. can whole tomatoes, chopped I only had cans of diced tomatoes.

1 cup chicken broth

1 lb. dried pappardelle or fettuccine I used farfalle ("butterflies" in Italian). With pasta, shape does matter, but there’s no reason to go out and buy a particular type if you don’t have it- maybe if you’re entertaining.

2 T. capers

2 T. thinly sliced fresh basil I took some I grew this summer out of the freezer. It works, but thaws VERY quickly. Don’t take it out too long before you start cooking. You can also use a heaping teaspoon of dried basil.

Salt & pepper

Instructions

    1) Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until it browns, 5 to 7 minutes, breaking into smaller pieces. Next time someone invites me to a Pampered Chef party, I am buying that meat smasher tool.

 

-Start your pot for boiling the pasta now. I use 3T. of salt in the water for a pound of pasta. Add pasta when boiling. -

    2) In a large saucepan, lightly brown bacon. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add apples and wine and simmer 4 minutes, or until wine is almost evaporated. 

    3) Add tomatoes, broth and pork. Bring to boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, partially covered, until sauce thickens, 15 to 20 minutes.  

     4) Meanwhile, prepare pappardelle according to package directions. Drain and add to finished sauce. Give it a swirl. Stephanie says to top pasta with sauce, but I always mix it into the sauce for even coating.  

    5) Add capers and basil to sauce. Season with salt and pepper. And I say add some grated cheese. 

Allegra, my nine year-old, made us side salads of Romaine, purple cabbage, Campari tomatoes, and Bitten Lemon Poppy Seed dressing. My kids will eat any salad if doused in poppy seed dressing.