Pappardelle with Pork Sugo
As kid, I didn’t know Pappardelle pasta even existed. But a few years ago, I started to see it more often in the “upscale” restaurants I visited…and now I see pappardelle all the time. Usually, these broadly cut pasta noodles are served with a rich meat sauce…and usually they are very very tasty. Unfortunately, now that I have not only discovered, but also acquired a deep affection for pappardelle, I find it hard to buy in my local grocery stores. So what else is person to do, but to make their own. And in this recipe video, I combine my homemade pappardelle with a crazy good pork sugo, for a hearty, flavorful, pasta dish.
Recipe Overview & Keys to Success
- As with all pasta recipes, it’s key to use good pappardelle and to not overcook it to a mushy mess
- The ratio of sauce to pasta is the second key to this recipe. The pasta should really be the star, so you shouldn't drown it in sauce. If you have too much of one thing (pasta or sauce) or the other, leave some out, and eat it for leftovers the next day
- Finally, I always toss the sauce and pasta together once the pasta is cooked (rather than spooning it over the pasta). A minute of cooking them together (along with a final shot of olive oil) blends the flavors, and really makes a composed dish
- By the way…while I love to use pappardelle, this recipe is great with other pastas as well; but I generally like the more “robust” shapes…gnocchi, ravioli, fettucini, etc…that can stand up to the sugo, not so much angle hair pasta
Ingredients for Pappardelle with Pork Sugo (for 2)
- Pappardelle pasta ~ 8ozs
- Parmesan cheese – 4 tablespoons
- Olive oil
- Pork sugo - Half to 3 quarters of a cup (recipe link below)
Preparing the Pappardelle and the Pork Sugo
- In this recipe video, I’ve already made the pork sugo. This pasta sauce is a long cooking one, that usually takes a day to make, so I make large batches and then freeze serving size portions
- If it’s already 5pm and you need to get dinner on the table, there are other sauces you can use for the pappardelle. I’ve got a great mushroom sugo, that has a deep, rich flavor, and which you can make in less than an hour.
- It is pretty easy to make your own pappardelle pasta, and you can definitely do that the same day, or buy some from your local store if you can find it
Making Pappardelle with Pork Sugo
- Heat your sauce in a sauté pan large enough to hold both the sauce and the cooked pasta.
- Once it is up to simmer, lower the heat to keep it warm and drop the pappardelle into a pot of boiling, salted water
- Cook it to al dente, which will only be a minute or so if the pasta is fresh. If you’re using dry pasta, follow the box directions, maybe erring on the side of a minute or so less - because over cooked pasta stinks.
- About 30 seconds before the pappardelle is cooked, turn up the heat on the pork sugo to get it to a high temperature
- Drain the pasta, and add it directly to the sauce
- Toss the two together for 2 – 3 minutes to coat the pappardelle with the sauce and give it a chance to absorb some of the flavors
- Turn the heat off, and add 1 – 2 tablespoons of good olive oil, and half of the parmesan cheese
- Toss again and note the consistency of the pasta & sauce. If it’s too thick, add a bit of water; if too thin, put it back on high heat to reduce for another minute
- Serve piled high in a pasta bowl, with another drizzle of good olive oil, and the rest of the parmesan cheese
The other night I used up the last of my frozen pork sugo with this dish, and I’m going to be a bit sadder until I restock. Another nice thing about this dish, is that my friends and family don't see pappardelle at home all that often, so bringing this to the table gives a bit of "wow” factor...which is great for special occasion nights, or when you want to impress! Hope you enjoy it, and leave a comment to let me know how it goes.
Enjoy!!
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