Rigatoni with Spicy Calabrese-Style Pork Ragù

A hearty Italian pasta dish featuring a rich and spicy pork ragù made with both Italian sausage and ground pork, slowly simmered with aromatics and tomatoes until tender. Served with rigatoni pasta and topped with Parmesan cheese.

6 servings

5 hr

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•1 whole medium onion, quartered
•1 whole carrot, peeled, cut into 1" pieces
•1 whole celery stalk, cut into 1" pieces
•4 cloves garlic cloves
•2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
•¼ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
•½ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
•1 can 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
•¼ cup olive oil
•1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
•1 pound ground pork
•1 to taste Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
•1 to taste freshly ground pepper
•1 tablespoon tomato paste
•1 pound mezzi rigatoni or penne rigate
•¾ cup finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano plus more

Cooking Instructions

1.
Pulse onion, carrot, celery, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 cup parsley in a food processor until finely chopped; transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Purée tomatoes with juices in processor; set aside.
10 min
2.
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat; add sausage and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add ground pork, season with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.
15 min
3.
Increase heat to medium-high. Add reserved vegetable mixture to drippings in pot, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until golden, 8-10 minutes.
10 min
4.
Stir tomato paste and 1 cup water in a small bowl; add to pot. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 6-8 minutes.
8 min
5.
Add reserved meat and tomato purée and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, adding more water as needed to keep meat nearly submerged, until meat is tender, about 4 hours. Season with salt. DO AHEAD: Ragù can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool. Cover and chill, or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat before continuing.
240 min
6.
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid.
12 min
7.
Add pasta and 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid to sauce; stir to coat. Stir in 3/4 cup Parmesan and remaining 1/4 cup parsley. Increase heat to medium and continue stirring, adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta. Divide among bowls; top with more Parmesan.
5 min

Ingredients

•1 whole medium onion, quartered

•1 whole carrot, peeled, cut into 1" pieces

•1 whole celery stalk, cut into 1" pieces

•4 cloves garlic cloves

•2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves

•¼ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

•½ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided

•1 can 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

•¼ cup olive oil

•1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

•1 pound ground pork

•1 to taste Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

•1 to taste freshly ground pepper

•1 tablespoon tomato paste

•1 pound mezzi rigatoni or penne rigate

•¾ cup finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano plus more

Cooking Instructions

Pulse onion, carrot, celery, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 cup parsley in a food processor until finely chopped; transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Purée tomatoes with juices in processor; set aside.

10 min

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat; add sausage and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add ground pork, season with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.

15 min

Increase heat to medium-high. Add reserved vegetable mixture to drippings in pot, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until golden, 8-10 minutes.

10 min

Stir tomato paste and 1 cup water in a small bowl; add to pot. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 6-8 minutes.

8 min

Add reserved meat and tomato purée and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, adding more water as needed to keep meat nearly submerged, until meat is tender, about 4 hours. Season with salt. DO AHEAD: Ragù can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool. Cover and chill, or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat before continuing.

240 min

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid.

12 min

Add pasta and 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid to sauce; stir to coat. Stir in 3/4 cup Parmesan and remaining 1/4 cup parsley. Increase heat to medium and continue stirring, adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta. Divide among bowls; top with more Parmesan.

5 min