Pork Sugo With Strozzapreti Recipes

SLOW-COOKER PORK SHOULDER SUGO

Steps:

• In large bowl, mix onions, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, oregano and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
• In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook pork shoulder 4 minutes on fattiest side, then turn and cook 3 minutes each on other 3 sides. Transfer to 6-quart slow cooker.
• Add onion mixture to skillet with pork juices; cook 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown. Add red wine; cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until all liquid is absorbed. Stir in tomatoes; cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Pour mixture over pork in slow cooker. Add broth and anchovies; stir liquid. Cook on Low heat setting 8 hours or High heat setting 4 hours.
• Transfer pork to cutting board; cool slightly. Cool liquid 10 minutes, then carefully puree in blender in batches, and return to slow cooker. Set slow cooker to Warm heat setting. Shred pork, discarding any pieces of fat. Add pork to liquid in slow cooker, and stir to combine.

STROZZAPRETI

Steps:

• Put the flour on a worktable. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the tomatoes, egg, and salt. Combine together and knead until the mixture becomes an even dough. If the mixture becomes too wet, add more flour, if it becomes too dry, add more tomato juice.
• Sprinkle the work surface with a little flour. Cut a quarter of the dough and roll the dough flat. Cut the dough into strips 1/2-inch wide and then each strip about 2 to 3-inches long. Using your thumb and index finger, gently pinch the width of the dough strip, and then roll out. Repeat the above process until all the dough is used up. Cover up any excess dough with a cloth to prevent it from drying, if you are not using it immediately.
• Put the dough-strips on a lightly floured board and then add to a pot of boiling salted water. Stir to prevent the pasta from sticking together and drain when the pasta floats to the surface, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water.
• To make the sauce: Add the olive oil, chopped rosemary, and Parmigiano cheese to a cold saucepan. Add the cooked strozzapreti to the saucepan with a 1/4 cup pasta water and mix well.

STROZZAPRETI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Blanch the spinach in water. Drain and chop. Mix the ricotta cheese with the spinach. Add the Parmesan and the flour. Mix well. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Take 1 tablespoon full of the ricotta mixture and form small balls with your hand (about 1/2 inch.) Place in a casserole dish.
• Add some tomato sauce over the ricotta-spinach balls. Sprinkle some Parmesan over and cook for 10 minutes.

STROZZAPRETI OR "PRIEST CHOKERS" WITH SAGE SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the ricotta in a cheesecloth-lined sieve and place the sieve over a bowl. Cover the ricotta with plastic wrap and place the ricotta in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or up to 1 day.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs until well blended. Add the spinach and beat until blended. Stir in the drained ricotta, 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano and 5 tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir until well blended.
• Coat a baking pan with a generous amount of the flour. Line a second baking pan with a lightly floured kitchen towel. With floured hands, roll two tablespoons of the ricotta mixture into a 1 1/2-inch ball. Roll it in the flour until generously coated. Before continuing, test the flavor and texture of the mixture by dropping the strozzapreti into the boiling water. It should hold its shape and rise to the surface within a minute. Continue cooking for 1 minute after the strozzoprete rises to the surface, then lift it with a slotted spoon from the water. If the strozzaprette didn't hold its shape, add a little more breadcrumbs.
• Once you're happy with the taste and texture of the strozzapreti, form the remaining mixture into balls, roll them in flour and set them on the lightly floured towel.
• In a skillet large enough to hold the cooked strozzapreti in a single layer, heat the broth, butter and sage leaves over medium low heat to simmering; simmer 3 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat.
• Add half the strozzapreti to the pot of boiling water and stir gently until they return to the surface. Cook until firm, about 1 minute after they rise to the top. Remove them with a skimmer and transfer them to the pot with the sage sauce, draining well. Repeat with the remaining strozzapreti. Place the pan over medium-low heat and gently shake the pan to warm the strozzapreti and coat them with sauce. Remove the pan from the heat, add the grated cheese and swirl the strozzapreti in the sauce until they are coated.
• Serve the strozzapreti in warmed bowls, spooning extra sauce over each. Pass additional cheese if you like.

PORK SUGO WITH STROZZAPRETI

Steps:

• Generously salt and pepper the pork. Heat a heavy pot just large enough to fit the pork over medium heat. Add the oil, then add the pork. Fry until golden brown, turning until golden brown on all sides. The browned bits lay the foundation for our sugo. Transfer the pork to a plate, drain off all but 1 tablespoon of oil, then add the garlic, onions, and carrots. Saute the vegetables until they start browning. This sweetens them and adds another layer of flavor on top of the browned pork. Add the red wine and bring to a boil. You want to scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan and burn off the alcohol in the wine. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf and thyme into the pot along with the pork. Make sure the pork is mostly submerged, then cover loosely with a lid (leave the lid ajar). Turn down the heat to low and simmer for about 3 hours or until you can easily stick a fork into the pork. You'll want to flip the pork a few times if it is not completely covered in sauce. When the pork is tender, remove it from the pot and use a fork to shred the meat. Use a spoon to skim off any excess fat (a little is okay, but you don't want an oil slick on top). Add the pork back to sauce, which should now be pretty thick. If it's watery, turn up the heat a bit and reduce it until it's nice and thick. Boil the strozzapreti just short of the time specified on the package. Drain and add to the sugo. Turn up the heat and cook for a few minutes until the strozzapreti is al dente and the sauce easily coats each piece of pasta. Serve with some grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

BAKED ORECCHIETTE WITH PORK SUGO

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• 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.
• *The pork sugo can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; reheat before tossing with the orecchiette.
• **Serve with a Green salad and Rich, black-fruited Amarone Classico: 2004 Masi Costasera.