Rachael Ray's Porchetta-Style Ragu
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Rachael Ray's Porchetta-Style Ragu

Real porchetta takes three to four days to prepare. This ragu is a fun and fairly fast fix if you're in the mood for porchetta on the fly.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups large homemade breadcrumbs or panko
  • 3 tbsp. butter, melted
  • Salt
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 4 oz. cold meaty pancetta or guanciale, finely chopped
  • 1 lb. coarsely ground pork loin (ask your butcher to grind it for you) or packaged ground pork
  • Pepper
  • 2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 4 tsp. lemon zest, plus 2 tbsp. juice
  • 1 tsp. (about 1/3 palmful) fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp. (about 1/3 palmful) crushed red pepper
  • ½ tsp. fennel pollen (optional)
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (optional, if you have one in the freezer), plus freshly grated cheese for tossing and serving
  • 1 lb. mezze rigatoni or rigatoni
  • A small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

  • Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350°. On a baking sheet, toss the breadcrumbs and butter; season with salt. Bake, stirring once, until toasted and golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool.
  • Step 2 Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
  • Step 3 In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil, two turns of the pan, over medium-high. Add the pancetta. Cook, stirring often, until the fat begins to render, about 2 minutes. Add the ground pork. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat with a spoon, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add the rosemary, garlic, 2 tsp. lemon zest, the fennel seeds, crushed red pepper, and the fennel pollen, if using. Stir until aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine. Cook, stirring often, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and the Parm rind, if using. Reduce heat to low. Let the sauce simmer while you cook the pasta.
  • Step 4 Salt the boiling water and add the pasta. Cook until 1 minute shy of the package directions. Scoop out about 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
  • Step 5 Discard the Parm rind from the sauce. Add a generous handful of grated Parm, the lemon juice, and the pasta to the sauce. Toss, adding the cooking water as needed if the pasta is too dry. Season with salt.
  • Step 6 Toss the breadcrumbs with the remaining 2 tsp. lemon zest, the parsley, and a bit more Parm. Serve the pasta in shallow bowls. Top with the breadcrumbs.
Tags:disable, Rachael Ray Magazine