Whole Grain Einkorn Penne with Pulled Pork Ragu

We love the long braise and fork-tender meat of carnitas. And I love a slow-simmered ragu. For years I’ve craved a pasta sauce that put them together … now, here it is.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 275°F.
2. Mix together ground fennel, nutmeg, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Toss pork pieces in spice mixture to coat well and set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, fennel,  carrot, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Sauté 10 minutes, until vegetables are just beginning to brown. Pour in wine and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
4. Nestle the pork pieces into the vegetables, cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook, covered, for 2 hours.
5. Remove pot from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Uncover and thoroughly skim off fat (the clear liquid; once you get to the cloudy liquid you’ve hit juice) with a spoon, then shred the pork with two forks (it will be so tender, just pressing on it with the back of a fork will do most of the work). Discard any large lumps of fat.
6. Pour tomato puree and stock into the pot with the pork and mix to incorporate all. Move the pot back to a burner and simmer uncovered over low heat for 30 minutes.
7. While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni for 10 minutes and drain. Toss well with the sauce and serve.