This apple pork ragu with pappardelle is COZY. You might be thinking, “apples?” But yes, apple! It sounds odd but I promise this pasta doesn’t taste like a pie. The apples soften and blend with the salty pork, slightly sweetening our tomato sauce. I promise, it is very good.
What you need to make apple pork ragu
- A dutch oven – My trusty dutch oven was great for this recipe. Here is my favorite one from Staub. You can also use a large pot for this too.
- Another large pot – a standard large pot for your noodles!
- A strainer – for the noodles 🙂
- A peeler – for your apple.
How to make apple pork ragu
- Start by peeling your apple – use a big honeycrisp apple. They are really large so you only need one! Take off the skin with a peeler and then dice it up into cubes. They will get really soft once they cook up in the dutch oven.
- Brown the pork all over – This might sound complicated, but I browned the pork in the dutch oven and then transferred the pork to a separate plate.
- Heat up your onion and garlic until translucent: In the same pot, add the garlic and onion and wait for the onion to brown a bit and turn translucent. That’s when you know you can move on to the next step.
- Add the apples and a dry white wine – I used sauvignon blanc, but pinot grigio would work well too. Keep the heat on medium and stir it up occasionally, until the wine has reduced by half or more.
- Let the sauce simmer for awhile – add the tomatoes, chicken broth, water and herbs. Then add the pork back in. You will want to let the sauce thicken up, so after it reaches a boil, place a lid over half of the pot and let it simmer for 20 minutes or even longer.
Make the pappardelle noodles
These noodles are the bomb for a meaty sauce, but feel free to use another noodle, like spaghetti. Be sure to separate the noodles as you drop them into the water. They can tend to get tangled and stuck to each other, so be careful!
Storing your apple pork ragu
If you have leftovers, leave them in the dutch oven and refrigerate. That way you can plop it back on the stove and reheat the sauce. Otherwise, transfer it all to a microwave-proof bowl with an airtight topping. Consume the noodles and sauce in 3-4 days.
Other recipes to try
If you liked this pork ragu with pappardelle, try some of these recipes next:
- Pappardelle alla Vodka with Slow Cooked Chicken
- Easy Pesto Pasta Sauce
- Healthier Hamburger Helper
- Slow Cooker Red Wine & Beef Rigatoni
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Apple Pork Ragu with Pappardelle
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large pot
- Another pot for pasta
- strainer
- sharp knife
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground pork
- ½ of a yellow onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Honeycrisp apple peeled and diced
- ½ cup dry white wine like sauvignon blanc
- 1 cup chicken broth low sodium
- 1 lb pappardelle noodles
- 2 tbsp thyme chopped
- 2 tbsp rosemary chopped
- 15 oz crushed tomatoes canned
- salt
- pepper
- shaved parmesan for serving
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- In a dutch oven, heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground pork and break it up with a spatula or wooden spoon. Let it brown all over, about 4-5 minutes. Then transfer the ground pork to a plate.1 tbsp olive oil, 1 lb lean ground pork
- In the now empty dutch oven, add the garlic and onions and cook over medium heat for 3 or 4 minutes, until the onions are slightly browned. Then add the apples and wine and simmer until the wine has reduced by over half.½ of a yellow onion, 4 garlic cloves, 1 Honeycrisp apple, ½ cup dry white wine
- Add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, thyme and rosemary. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add in the pork and stir. Bring the sauce to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot halfway and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.1 cup chicken broth, 2 tbsp thyme, 2 tbsp rosemary, salt, pepper, 15 oz crushed tomatoes
- In the meantime, boil water in another pot and add the pappardelle noodles. Boil the noodles for about 6-7 minutes, or until al dente. Strain.1 lb pappardelle noodles
- Serve the noodles with large spoonfuls of the finished sauce. Top with shaved parmesan.shaved parmesan
