Savory Pork Ragu with Pappardelle

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs  (or pork butt) – some fat trimmed (otherwise too greasy)

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

2 cups vertically sliced white onion

1 medium fennel bulb, cored and thinly vertically sliced

8 garlic cloves, crushed

1 (28-oz.) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, undrained

4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped

3 oregano sprigs

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 pound uncooked whole-wheat pappardelle or fettuccine

2 ounces percorino Romano cheese, finely grated (about 1/2 cup)

Fresh oregano leaves, for garnish

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Sprinkle pork with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add pork to pan; cook until well browned all over, about 8 minutes. Remove pork from pan.

Add onion, fennel, and garlic to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juices; break tomatoes up with the back of a spoon or your hands. Stir in anchovies, oregano sprigs, bay leaves, red pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Nestle pork into tomato mixture. Cover and bake at 325°F until pork is very tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Carefully remove pork from Dutch oven. Shred pork using 2 forks; stir shredded pork into tomato mixture. Discard bay leaves and oregano sprigs.

Cook pasta according to directions, omitting salt. Drain; reserve 1 cup cooking liquid. Add pasta to Dutch oven; toss gently to coat, adding reserved cooking liquid as necessary to reach desired consistency. Sprinkle with cheese and oregano leaves.