Turning the concept of pasta with ragú on its head just a little, this New Mexican–inspired sauce is full of chunks of tender pork, tart tomatillos, and fruity-spicy peppers. Charred under the broiler for a whisper of smokiness, the vegetables are pureéd and used two ways: as a braising liquid and a burst of fresh, green flavor stirred in at the very end. Make the braised pork up to two days ahead; it only gets better as it sits. It’s equally good with rice or bread instead of pasta.
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What you’ll need
Dutch Oven
$133 $80 At Amazon
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$32 At Amazon
Tongs
$21 At Amazon
Colander
$11 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
2
2
1
2
1
1
4
2
1
1
12
Preparation
Step 1
Heat 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Season 2 lb. pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 1" cubes, all over with kosher salt. Working in 2 batches, cook pork until well browned on all sides, 5–8 minutes per batch (there should be sufficient oil in pot after first batch, but add up to 1 Tbsp. more if pot looks dry). Return all of the pork to pot.
Step 2
Place racks in top and middle of oven and heat broiler. Arrange 1 bunch scallions, trimmed, 2 large jalapeños, stems removed, halved lengthwise, 1 lb. poblano chiles (about 5 medium), stems removed, halved lengthwise, and 1 lb. tomatillos (about 10 medium), husks removed, rinsed, on a large foil-lined rimmed baking sheet; broil until charred all over, 5–8 minutes.
Step 3
Transfer vegetables to a food processor. Add 4 garlic cloves, 2 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. dried oregano, 1 tsp. ground cumin, and a big pinch of salt and process until a coarse purée forms.
Step 4
Preheat oven to 350°. Set 1 cup purée aside. Pour remaining purée over pork in pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Cook, stirring halfway through, until pork is very tender and sauce is thickened, 70–80 minutes.
Step 5
Just before ragù is done, cook 12 oz. rigatoni in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente; drain.
Step 6
Add pasta to ragù and add reserved purée. Cook, stirring, until pasta is coated. Taste and season with salt if needed.
Step 7
Divide pasta among shallow bowls; top with crumbled Cotija cheese, cilantro leaves, and thinly sliced jalapeño.
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Reviews (16)
Back to TopMaking this for the second time tonight and I'm so excited, as is the family. I was skeptical about the pasta but it is amazing. The cotija cheese is a necessity!
Barb M
NY
12/3/2022
Delicious! At first, I didn't think pasta was the best base for this. I imagined a rice-and-bean pairing would be better. But, I followed the recipe and the past is actually perfect, it goes so well with the sauce and pork. I didn't have a food processor but luckily my blender did the trick. Will make again and again.
HSK
Redwood City, CA
10/2/2022
I was very excited about this and had high hopes. Unfortunately, it was not hitting. The ragu is certainly smoky, spicy, and delicious. However, pasta was not the best vessel. The whole time I was eating it I was thinking - this would be way better over grits or rice. I prefer pasta with very few, high-quality ingredients, so this sauce was just too much. However, I plan to make the ragu again using larger pieces of pork (or even shanks) so they stay in tact, and serve it over rice, or maybe add white beans and make it a chili.
Sasha
Jersey City, NJ
9/29/2022
Excellent flavor. Simple to make as it cooks itself after the initial few minutes. Great way to use up the cotija cheese that was leftover from BA Creamy Corn Elote Pasta which is equally as good earlier in the week:
Rojoyo
Seattle
9/25/2022
a great and tasty braise. I *know* it's not that helpful to substitute a lot of things, but i made the tomatillo/chile braise as written (delicious) and the simmer it with chucks of tofu for ~15 mins. great vegetarian sub. ate it over rice but of course pasta would also be tasty. good use of my summer veggies!
Kristen B
Denver, CO
8/25/2022
This is a great recipe that produces and wonderfully-flavored dish. I was concerned it may be too heavy on the Chile Verde flavor, but it turned out to be a delightful dish. Outside of the 70-80 minute braise, the dish comes together with little fuss. In step 2, I started all the produce together and turned them about 4-5 minutes into the broil. I thought the tomatillos needed to go longer, so I pulled the rest and put that into the blender while I waited the tomatillos to finish. In step 3, I added a heavy hand of salt, and after processing, I added more to the puree. Step 7, I think the Cojita cheese is necessary and adds a nice briny flavor. I will make it again!
Greengo
Falls Church, VA
8/23/2022