BAKED ZITI WITH SPICY PORK AND SAUSAGE RAGU

By gaster16

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta chopped
• 2 lbs. pork shoulder cut into 1-1/4” cubes
• 1 lb. Italian hot sausage casings removed
• 2 cups onions
• 3/4 cup chopped carrots
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 6 large fresh thyme sprigs
• 5 large garlic cloves chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 1-28-oz. can plum tomatoes in juice chopped, juice reserved
• 1-1/4 lb. ziti pasta
• 2 cups packed whole milk mozzarella cheese (about 8 ounces)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Heat olive oil in heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and saute until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to bowl. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Add half of pork to drippings in pot, saute until brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer to bowl with pancetta. Repeat with remaining pork. Add sausage to same pot. Saute until no longer pink, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add onions, carrots, celery, thyme, garlic, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, saute until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add wine and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Add pancetta and pork with any accumulated juices, boil 2 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice. Cover and cook until pork is very tender, adjusting heat as needed to maintain gentle simmer and stirring occasionally, about 2 hours. Uncover pot, tilt to one side and spoon off fat from surface of ragu. Gently press pork pieces with back of fork to break up meat coarsely. Season ragu to taste with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter 15x10x2 glass baking dish. Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until tender but firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta, mix into ragu. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper, transfer to prepared dish. Sprinkle both cheeses over. Bake until heated through and golden about 20 minutes.