Yesterday I cooked a humongous pork joint (3.5kg!) which took 5 hours to cook but was well worth it. I knew I was on to a good thing when I took it out to rest and pinched a bit off the edge to try and it came away like pulled pork! Yummy! I won’t bore you with another Sunday roast recipe but instead wanted to show you that there are more ways to use leftover meat than in a sandwich.
This recipe is loosely based on an Italian pork pasta dish I have eaten in Naples but is tweaked to cook in less than an hour so is perfect for a midweek dinner.
The sauce is thick so if you prefer a looser sauce, just add half a ladle full of the pasta water at the end.
Ingredients
200g Leftover Pork Shoulder
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes
2 Garlic Cloves
2 Tsp Fennel Seeds
1 Red Chilli
5 Chestnut Mushrooms
150ml Red Wine
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 Red Onion
Method
Slice the onions, chillies and mince the garlic whilst a little olive oil is heating in a saute pan.
Add the garlic, onions, chillies and fennel seeds and saute with the lid on for about 5 minutes until the onions are starting to turn translucent.
Add the cooked shredded pork and stir through. As soon as the meat starts warming it should start to loosen and relax.
Cook for 10 minutes and add the red wine and balsamic vinegar, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze and catch all those lovely crozily bits!
Add the mushrooms and tomatoes and cook with the lid on for about half an hour, stirring occasionally to avoid it catching.
Meanwhile, cook your penne according to packet instructions, drain (reserving 1 cup of pasta water).
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and mix through. If its a little too dry, add some of the cooking water to loosen.
Serve with a glass of red wine and a sprinkle of Pecorino cheese for a great Love Food Hate Waste dinner idea.
Live for the Kitchen, Die for the Dining Room 