• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Missing Lokness

Easy Everyday Recipes

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • So-Cal Travel Guide
  • Privacy Policy

Pipe Rigate with Pork Ragu

September 23, 2015 By Lokness 6 Comments

Pipe Rigate with Pork Ragu 4 | The Missing Lokness

Today is the first day of autumn. I have to say I can’t feel it! Ahhh… It is still very warm in Los Angeles. 82˚F (27.7˚C) right now. For a few days, it was nice and cool. I could smell the crisp in the air. I was so happy that I spin around like Maria in The Sound of Music. I was inspired to make something warm and comforting like this ragu. Sadly, the weather quickly bounced back up. Hope your side of the world is not as hot!

Pipe Rigate with Pork Ragu 1| The Missing Lokness

Bryan loves this ragu so much, that he called it “dinner party good”. I can’t disagree! It was that incredible!

To make a ragu, we need meat! This recipe used pork butt. Pork butt is not the butt part. In fact, it is the shoulder. It is tender and flavorful. I love using that part of the meat for Cantonese style BBQ pork.

Back to the ragu, seared the pork first. Then sautéed the veggies. Added wine (of course), crushed tomatoes, herbs, spices and water to braise everything for a good hour until the meat was almost falling apart. Tossed in some spinach and dried currant. The sweet currants brought nice sweetness and lightened up the dish. At last, stired in the al dente pasta. Nommmm… Savory goodness… Who is ready for dinner?

Pipe Rigate with Pork Ragu 2| The Missing Lokness

Pipe Rigate with Pork Ragu

2 servings

Ingredients:

–   ¾ pound boneless pork butt (cut into 1½ cubes)

–   2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more

–   ½ small onion (finely chopped)

–   ½ carrot (peeled and finely chopped)

–   ½ celery stalk (finely chopped)

–   1 garlic clove (finely chopped)

–   1 small sprig rosemary

–   1 sprig oregano

–   1 bay leaf

–   10 ounces canned crushed tomatoes

–   ¼ cup dry red wine

–   1/8 teaspoon black peppercorns

–   1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

–   dash ground cloves

–   ½ pound pipe rigate or other small shell pasta

–   3 tablespoons dried currants (optional)

–   2 handfuls baby spinach

–   2 tablespoons unsalted butter

–   ¼ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

–   salt

–   ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Season the pork cubes with salt and pepper.
  2. In a large heavy pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sear the meat on all sides until browned, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a large plate.
  3. Remove all but 1 tablespoon fat in the pot. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook until golden brown, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rosemary, oregano and bay leave, pork, tomatoes, wine, peppercorns, nutmeg and cloves. Add enough water just to cover the meat. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the meat is very tender, about 1 – 1½ hours.
  4. Turn off heat. Discard the herb stems and bay leaf. Shred the meat with 2 forks. Turn the heat back on to medium. Cook uncovered until sauce is thickened, about 8 – 10 minutes.
  5. Put the currants in a ½ cup of hot water. Soak them for about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  6. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water (salted) to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Reserve ½ cup pasta water. Drain the pasta.
  7. Back to the ragu, add currants and spinach. Stir until spinach is wilted. Add pasta. Combine everything. If needed, add some the reserved pasta water. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in butter and ¼ cup grated Parmesan. Transfer pasta to serving plates. Top with extra Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Tips:

  1. Pork can be made 2 days ahead. Do not shred. Cool, cover and keep in the fridge.
  2. I love the currants in the pasta. If you can find them, use them.
  3. You can substitute dried herbs with fresh herbs (½ teaspoon dried rosemary and ½ teaspoon dried oregano).

(Adapted from Bon Appétit)

Filed Under: Cook, Pasta/Noodle, Pork Tagged With: dried currant, italian, pasta, pork, ragu, tomato

Previous Post: « Broiled Miso Black Cod
Next Post: Mini Salmon Wonton Cups »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nicole @ Young, Broke and Hungry says

    September 23, 2015 at 9:53 pm

    I love a simple ragu with pasta! Its one of my go to dinners.

    Reply
    • Lokness says

      September 25, 2015 at 3:52 pm

      Ragu with pasta is such a comfort meal! I will have to make this often too if the weather is cooling down. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Monica says

    September 24, 2015 at 6:30 am

    I am so ready for dinner…your dinner, in particular! : ) Anything “ragu” just promises to be so savory and good! And it’s the kind of thing I really look forward to making and eating on the weekends in the cooler months. It’s gotten cooler here but it tends to jump around for a bit. Before we know it, it’ll be snow and ice. Enjoy your LA weather…but make lots of ragu!

    Reply
    • Lokness says

      September 25, 2015 at 3:56 pm

      Hahaha! Thanks!! I know how brutal winter can be for most parts of the country. Maybe I shouldn’t complain too much. 😛 But yea, I will enjoy lots of ragu this fall and winter.

      Reply
  3. Kathleen | Hapa Nom Nom says

    September 25, 2015 at 12:17 pm

    This has amazing comfort food written all over it! I love a great ragu and your recipe sounds wonderful. Btw, I’m loving your photos – stepping up your game girl 🙂 Pinned and Yummed, of course.

    Reply
    • Lokness says

      September 25, 2015 at 4:00 pm

      Thank you so much Kathleen! Nagi’s book is really helpful. I’m trying to do better with the pictures. 🙂 Enjoy a great weekend!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hello there!

Welcome! I'm Lokness. Currently live in Los Angles. Grew up in Hong Kong. Obsessed with chocolate & ice cream. Cooking is something I love. This is where I share my stories and recipes. Want to know more? Click here.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Never Miss a New Recipe!

Sign up to receive notifications of new posts by email. No spam!

Popular Posts

  • Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding (From Scratch) Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding (From Scratch) #magnoliabakery #copycatrecipe #banana #pudding #bananapudding #partyfood #nilawafer #dessert #dessertrecipe | The Missing Lokness Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding (From Scratch)
  • Easy Sushi Bake #sushibake #hawaiianrecipe #imitationcrab #avocado #easyrecipe #furikake #seaweed #dinner #dinnerrecipe #appetizer | The Missing Lokness Easy Sushi Bake
  • Hong Kong Style Borscht Soup #soup #hongkongfood #vegetables #beefbone #borschtsoup | The Missing Lokness Hong Kong Style Borscht Soup
  • Mendocino Farms Curried Couscous with Roasted Cauliflower #sidedish #pastasalad #couscous #curry | The Missing Lokness Mendocino Farms Curried Couscous with Roasted Cauliflower
  • Sangchu Geotjeori (Korean Lettuce Salad)

missinglokness

🍩 Recipe Developer & Food Lover (I cook & eat around the city!) 🐹 Animals Lover 🏠 Los Angeles🌴(From HK 🇭🇰)

Sometimes, something simple is the best. My go-to Sometimes, something simple is the best. My go-to is a cheeseburger w/ extra toasted bun & onion. Bryan likes his double-double w/ onion. The fries were perfectly crispy, and I like to dip them in the spread sauce. Please order me 2 fries next time!😂 How do you like your In-N-Out?
Ice cream time! This Vanilla Blueberry Thyme Swirl Ice cream time! This Vanilla Blueberry Thyme Swirl Ice Cream is creamy, little vanilla-y w/ bits of blueberries & a hint of thyme. That vibrant blueberry swirls also makes the prettiest purple color too! I made this ice cream using my blueberry thyme jam, so it’s very easy.🫐🍨

Recipe link in profile ⬆️ #ontheblog #TheMissingLokness

https://www.themissinglokness.com/2022/04/15/vanilla-blueberry-thyme-swirl-ice-cream/
A perfect bowl of Korean shaved ice for a warm nig A perfect bowl of Korean shaved ice for a warm night. We both got Injeolmi, which is milk flavored ice w/ mochi, roasted soybean powder & condensed milk. It was light, little nutty & not too sweet.🍧

🌟Oakobing
📍37 N Arroyo Pkwy, Pasadena, CA 91103
Spring time means berries. Let starts w/ Blueberry Spring time means berries. Let starts w/ Blueberry Thyme Jam! Sweet, lemony & earthy. A nice surprising combo, but both blueberry & thyme compliment each other really well. I once served this once w/ a slice of Basque cheesecake, & it was fantastic! The jam is good on all sort of things, like yogurt and charcuterie board. 🫐

Recipe link in profile ⬆️ #ontheblog #TheMissingLokness

https://themissinglokness.com/2022/03/24/small-batch-blueberry-thyme-jam/
When I think of comfort food, this Satay Beef Cell When I think of comfort food, this Satay Beef Cellophane Noodles in Clay Pot (沙嗲牛肉粉絲煲) definitely is up there on the top. One of my favorites to order in Hong Kong! It’s hearty & rich. That tender beef & noodles are coated w/ a savory & slightly sweet satay sauce. Little kick from the chili & the earthiness from the mushroom. Bold flavors! Please just give me a bowl of rice already! Btw, this takes only 30 mins to put together, which makes a great weeknight dish. 

Recipe link in profile ⬆️ #ontheblog #TheMissingLokness

https://themissinglokness.com/2022/03/10/satay-beef-cellophane-noodles-in-clay-pot/
Maude (@mauderestaurant) has reopened & we’re ba Maude (@mauderestaurant) has reopened & we’re back! It closed down during the pandemic & eventually was selling sweet & savory pies for a while. Once we heard Maude was about to reopen, we made reservation. It’s a 9-course tasting menu w/ the focus on California cuisine this time. Everything was incredible. We chose to sit on the chef’s table & watched them plating & cooking. Precision & speed w/ lots of components. We had our many firsts, like cactus, caviar, & black truffle. Our favorites of the night were caviar w/ peas, abalone & bread w/ aged butter. We really love this place & look forward to going back soon!

🌟Maude
📍212 S Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
❣️Always a multi-course tasting menu & changes often.
Am I dreaming? Hailing in Pasadena? The mix of hai Am I dreaming? Hailing in Pasadena? The mix of hail & rain probably lasted for a good 30-minute. I was very excited at first, then it got crazy. Hail was collecting everything & my patio started to flood. I took out a broom & removed some of the hail. That worked, the water started to move & subside eventually. So glad my apartment wasn’t flooded. Whew! I have seen hailing, but this is another level. The ground was covered in hail. Really incredible!
Morning bun from Tartine Bakery Pasadena. Crispy & Morning bun from Tartine Bakery Pasadena. Crispy & chewy laminated croissant bun w/ the taste of cinnamon & orange zest. This location just opened a couple weeks ago. It’s a luxury to have a bakery like this in the neighborhood. I know I’ll be stopping by there all the time. Thinking about their croissant, lemon tart, brownie & baguette already! @tartinepasadena @tartinebakery

🌟 Tartine Bakery (Multiple locations in LA/SF)
📍 277 W Green St, Pasadena, CA 91105
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · The Missing Lokness · Privacy Policy

 

Loading Comments...