Baked Orecchiette with Pork Sugo

Inspiration:
Food and Wine

Ingredients:

• 3 1/4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 4 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 large sweet onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
• One 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 5 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds orecchiette
• 2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (7 ounces)

Instructions:

1. Season the pork with salt and pepper. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the pork in a single layer and cook over moderately high heat until the pieces are golden brown all over, about 12 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic and cook until softened and browned in spots, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and bring to a simmer. Add the red wine and thyme sprigs and cook over high heat until the wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the pork is very tender, about 2 hours.
2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork and vegetables to a food processor; discard the thyme sprigs. Pulse just until the pork is shredded. Scrape the shredded pork and vegetables back into the casserole. Stir in the chopped parsley, oregano and crushed red pepper and season with salt and pepper.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the orecchiette until it is still firm to the bite, about 5 minutes; drain well. Add the orecchiette to the casserole and toss with the pork sauce. Scrape the pasta into a very large baking dish and sprinkle all over with the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake the casserole in the upper third of the oven for about 35 minutes, until golden brown on top and bubbling. Let the baked pasta stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes:
"The pork sugo can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat before tossing with the orecchiette."

My Notes:
The photos do not capture the deliciousness of this dish. I highly recommend it.
I cut this recipe in half, and it still filled a 9x13 pyrex dish. This recipe takes a long time, because the pork braises for two hours. It is not a weeknight meal. However, it's perfect for a Sunday where you'll be watching football or baking Christmas cookies, because after the initial prep, it just simmers and smells yummy while you go about your day.

For those of you who are interested, here is an interesting article about sugo.

Tim's Rating: 9.5/10
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Me: "I would call this comfort food."
Tim: "Yes, I feel very comforted."