Go Back
–+ servings
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Pork, Fennel, and Lemon Ragu with Pappardelle

You already know ragu rosso, the king of ragu sauces. But perhaps you haven't met the queen: ragu bianco, which, in our version, trades the tomato for bright lemon and rich cream.
We ensured plenty of savoriness by creating fond twice. We first browned finely chopped pancetta, onion, and fennel in a Dutch oven and then added water and a touch of cream to create a braising liquid. A pork shoulder, which we halved crosswise to make cooking faster and shredding easier, simmered in this liquid in the oven, where a second fond formed on the sides of the pot. After scraping this second fond into the sauce, we brightened its flavor with plenty of lemon juice before adding the pasta.
Servings: 6
Author: America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces pancetta chopped
  • 1 large onion chopped fine
  • 1 large fennel bulb 2 tablespoons fronds chopped, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and chopped fine
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1½ teaspoons table salt plus salt for cooking the pasta
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream
  • 1 1½-pound boneless pork butt roast well trimmed and cut in half across the grain
  • 2 lemons 1 ½ teaspoons grated lemon zest, plus ¼ cup juice
  • 12 ounces pappardelle
  • 2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese grated (1 cup), plus extra for serving

Instructions

Cook the aromatics:

  • Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cook the pancetta and ⅔ cup of water in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the water has evaporated and a dark fond forms on the bottom of the pot, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Add the onion and fennel bulb and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and start to brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Stir in the garlic, salt, thyme, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Braise the pork:

  • Stir in the cream and 2 cups of water, scraping up any browned bits.
  • Add the pork and bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Cover, transfer to the oven, and cook until the pork is tender, about 1½ hours.

De-glaze the pot:

  • Transfer the pork to a large plate and let it cool for 15 minutes.
  • Cover the pot so the fond will steam and soften, this will take a few minutes.
  • Using a spatula, scrape the browned bits from the sides of the pot and stir into the sauce.
  • Stir in lemon zest and juice.
  • While the pork cools, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.

Shred the pork:

  • Using 2 forks, shred the pork into bite-size pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat or connective tissue.
  • Return the pork and any juices to the Dutch oven.
  • Cover and keep warm.

Cook the pasta:

  • Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon of salt to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente.
  • Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and add it to the Dutch oven.

Finish the sauce and serve:

  • Add the Pecorino and ¾ cup of the reserved cooking water and stir until the sauce is slightly thickened and the cheese is fully melted, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • If desired, stir in the remaining reserved cooking water, ¼ cup at a time, to adjust the sauce consistency.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with fennel fronds.
  • Serve immediately, passing extra Pecorino separately.

Notes

  • Pork butt roast is often labeled Boston butt in the supermarket. To ensure that the sauce isn't greasy, be sure to trim the roast of all excess surface fat.
  • You can substitute tagliatelle for the pappardelle, if desired.