Simple Pork Shoulder Rigatoni

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Simple Pork Shoulder Rigatoni

This Simple Pork Shoulder Rigatoni is the perfect comfort food—full of rich flavor and super simple to make! You can slow cook the pork in a Dutch oven or a crockpot during the day and have the whole meal ready in under 20 minutes when it’s time to eat. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs cooked pork shoulder, shredded (see below for how to prep pork)

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, chopped

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

2 tsp Herbes de Provence

1/4 cup chicken stock

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 tsp granulated sugar

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp heavy cream (or more for a creamier sauce, that’s up to you!)

1 lb dry rigatoni pasta

Serve with sliced garlic knots, Panzanella or salad

Pork Prep:

3-5 lb. pork shoulder

1 small yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Dutch Oven

Prepping the pork for multiple recipes

1. Drop 3 tbsp of butter into a Dutch oven over med-high heat
2. Pat off excess moisture on pork with a paper towel. Removing excess moisture is what helps give the pork a great sear. Season pork with salt and pepper on all sides and carefully place it in the Dutch oven with the melted butter
3. Brown on all sides. Remove pork and drop heat to medium. Add onion. Cook 3-5 minutes until the onion is soft. Add garlic to the pot and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
4. Deglaze (a technique for removing and dissolving browned food residue from the bottom of pan to add flavor) the pot with 1 cup of water or, for extra flavor, a dry white wine. Be sure to carefully scrape off browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
5. Once most of the liquid has evaporated, place the pork shoulder back in the Dutch oven. Pour 4 cups of water (you can also use chicken or vegetable broth) into the Dutch oven and turn the heat to high. Bring to boil, drop down to simmer and cover with a lid. Cook until pork easily pulls apart with two forks, about 3-4 hours.
6. Shred pork. Cooked pork will last up to 3 days when stored properly in the fridge, should you not use it all for this recipe. This pork is also wonderful for my Pork Tacos  

Directions:

1. Place a stockpot full of heavily salted water over high heat. Bring to a boil. Carefully drop pasta in and cook according to package directions
2. In a deep skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter over low-med heat. Add onion and cook until softened, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes and Herbs de Provence to the pan and stir constantly for 30 seconds
3. Add chicken stock and crushed tomatoes until it bubbles. Drop heat to low and add sugar, parmesan cheese, heavy cream and shredded pork. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes or until sauce is warmed through
4. Drain pasta and add noodles directly into the sauce. Top pasta with grated Parmesan cheese and serve

Serve with garlic bread, caprese salad or Italian bread with seasoned olive oil for dipping.

TIPS

-Top with fresh parsley for added color and flavor

-Freeze for up to 3 months

Discover my favorite crockpot and essential kitchen basics by visiting my Amazon store

Want more pork? Try out these recipes:

Effortless Pork Shoulder Tacos