A FEAST WITH A PORK, TOMATO AND ONION PASTA
Combine small cubes of stew pork with onions and garlic...some oregano...then braise them for a bit in red
wine, then add a few cans of Imported Cherry Tomatoes, or one 28 oz can of San Marzanos or Italian plums,
toss shredded parmigiano into the hot steamy mezze penne with some olive oil and black pepper...you now have
a dish I devised this evening for dinner. Those packages of fresh cut cubes of stew pork, especially when they are
cut small are very very versatile. Last evening I had every intention of turning the package into a Southwestern US
delight. I was going to roast some Anaheim Chiles, then make a sauce out of them and make a pot of Green Chile
stew. This did not happen. The calendar got in the way and influenced my meal selection. Instead, because
yesterday was the Feast of San Nicola (St.Nicholas) I decided to honor the day with a tasty dish of mezze penne with
a sauce I made up last evening on the fly.
There's the real Santa Claus who is honored throughout the world , especially in the City of Bari, Italy, where he is the patron saint., and more
specifically as Santa Claus. St.Nicholas morphed from a Bishop who was a protector of children in the North-\
ern European Sinter Klaus. I'm sure he will find his way down your chimney on Dec.24/25. Maybe bringing
some Aleppo peppers? a Kitchen Aid appliance? a Sous-Vide for you hard-core types? a set of All-Clads?
that speciality Olive Oil from a small producer in Tuscany? Perhaps I'm revealing my own Wish-List..lol.
Everyday is a holiday SOMEWHERE in the world, so once in a while, ok, more often than not, I try to incor-
porate some celebration or tradition into the everyday meals I serve my family. Last night we ate a pasta
to celebrate St.Nicholas. The recipe, like St.Nicholas morphing into Santa Claus, went from a Southwestern
idea until I got home and thought, let's go Southern Italian to match the day.
Start off with 1 1/2 lb. of pork stew meat, cut into a small dice. The smaller, the quicker it will braise and
take on lots of flavor. In a wide pan, heat 1 tbs. of extra virgin olive oil, let it get hot, then add the meat.
Sprinkle with some salt and pepper to taste, and 1 tsp. of crushed fennel seeds...these little seeds make the
flavor in the pork pop..Crumble 1 tsp. of Oregano over, then stir. Let this brown a bit, give it 5 minutes on
one side, then stir them up.
Let the pork cook another 3 minutes, then remove to a bowl. Dice one large onion and drizzle a little more olive
oil into the pan. Saute' the onion for 10 minutes until soft. Then add 1 clove of sliced garlic. Saute' until fragrant
and add the pork back into the pan. Now add 1 cup of Red Wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom
of the pan and bring to a low boil. Let this cook till reduced somewhat, about 5 minutes. Now add 2 cans of
Italian Cherry Tomatoes and 4 sprigs of fresh thyme (DO NOT USE DRIED THYME, the taste will be very
different). Let this come to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a
spoon as they soften.
While the sauce is cooking, stir frequently and keep it on simmer...Cook 1 lb. of Mezze Penne, a smaller version
of Penne till al dente according to the package. Drain the pasta and add it to a bowl. Drizzle some Extra Virgin
Olive Oil, maybe just a little less than 1 tsp., 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and 1/2 cup of shredded
Parmigiano-Reggiano, and mix it well with the pasta. Important step here...you are adding a layer of flavor to the
pasta...the cheese will melt and adhere to the penne. Pretty much the same idea as Cacio e Pepe, that Roman
pasta dish of hot pasta with melted pecorino on it. I'll save that for another blog. Maybe. Cover until the sauce
is ready.
You could eat that as it is..but you willnot..you will enjoy it with this porky and rich, but not heavy sauce. Add the sauce with the meat to the bowl and
serve with some extra Parmigiano for grating. This will serve 4-6 hungry people. A nice Arugula side salad will
complement this pasta dish.
Remove the sprigs ofthyme.
Try to bring a little something special, especially during the week, to your meals. I'm not saying cook a meal
of Thanksgiving proportions, obviously work, school and life schedules dictate what you can create for your
meals. It should never be a stressful production, that's not fun, and if it's work, your dish will not be success-
ful. Do what's comfortable, but turn a day like a December 6 into something other than, "what do we eat
tonight". Let your creativity make it an "event".
Posted by peter battaglia at 12/7/2011 11:00 PM 
Categories: PORK, ITALIAN FOOD, ITALIAN, PASTA, cheese, MAIN COURSE PASTA SAUCES
Tags: PORK PASTA sauce TOMATOES penne macaroni ITALIAN FOOD
Categories: PORK, ITALIAN FOOD, ITALIAN, PASTA, cheese, MAIN COURSE PASTA SAUCES
Tags: PORK PASTA sauce TOMATOES penne macaroni ITALIAN FOOD
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