Pork and Fennel Ragu with Pappardelle

• 2 tbspolive oil
• 800gboneless pork shoulder, in one piece, rind removed
• 2 tspfennel seeds
• 1onion, finely chopped
• 2carrots, finely chopped
• 2celery sticks, finely chopped
• 4garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/2 tspchilli flakes
• 2 tbsptomato puree
• 200mldry white wine
• 2 x 400gtins chopped tomatoes
• 300mlchicken stock
• 2rosemary sprigs, about 10 g total
• 2bay leaves
• fine salt
• black pepper
• 500 gdried pappardelle
• 60gParmesan, grated
• 15gparsley, chopped
• 100grocket, for a side salad
• 1 tbspolive oil, for the rocket

Method

1. 1Heat the oven to 150C fan. Pat the pork dry, rub it with the fennel seeds, a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole over a high heat and brown the pork on all sides for 8 to 10 minutes until deeply coloured. Set aside.
2. 2Turn the heat down, add the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic, chilli flakes and tomato puree for 2 minutes.
3. 3Pour in the wine and bubble for 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes, stock, rosemary and bay. Return the pork, spooning the sauce over it, bring to a simmer, cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours 30 minutes until the pork pulls apart with no resistance.
4. 4Lift the pork onto a board and shred it with two forks, discarding any big pieces of fat. Skim the fat from the top of the sauce, fish out the rosemary and bay, and simmer the sauce on the hob for 5 to 10 minutes if it needs thickening. Return the pork and taste for salt.
5. 5Cook the pappardelle in a large pan of well-salted boiling water for 1 minute less than the packet says. Drain, keeping a mugful of the water, and toss with all the ragu and a splash of water until every ribbon is coated.
6. 6Serve all six portions with Parmesan and parsley, and the rocket dressed with its separate tablespoon of olive oil. If saving portions for another night, set aside that share of the sauce before cooking the pasta and scale the pasta and sides to the portions being eaten now. Cool saved sauce within 2 hours and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until piping hot.

Per serving

kcal

797

protein

42.9g

fibre

6.5g

carbs

76.8g

fat

33g