Everything rests on two things: pork ribs, which give up their collagen over two hours and make the sauce glossy, and cavatelli dragged hard enough to curl into real hollows that hold it. Browning the ribs and sausage properly before the wine goes in is the choice that matters; skip it and the ragù tastes boiled. Pecorino at the table adds the sharp, salty finish the sweet pork needs.
Make ahead The ragù is even better made a day ahead: reheat it gently while the pasta water comes to the boil and loosen it with a splash of that water.
Cavatelli al Ragù di Maiale
Total 4 hr · Prep 1 hr · Cook 2 hr 30 min · Serves 6
Method
Knead the semola with about 200 ml warm water and a pinch of salt into a firm, springy dough. Rest 30 minutes under a bowl.Knead the semola with about ¾ cup (200 ml) warm water and a pinch of salt into a firm, springy dough. Rest 30 minutes under a bowl.
Roll ropes as thick as a pencil, cut into 2 cm pieces, and drag each across the board with two fingertips so it curls into a hollow shell. Park on semolina.Roll ropes as thick as a pencil, cut into ¾ in pieces, and drag each across the board with two fingertips so it curls into a hollow shell. Park on semolina.
Press and drag the dough with two fingertips to curl it into a hollow shell. Brown the ribs and sausage hard in the oil; remove. Soften the onion, garlic, and chile in the same fat.
Stir in the concentrate, then the wine; scrape and reduce by half.
Return the meat to the pan and add the passata and 250 ml water. Simmer with the lid ajar for about 2 hours, until the rib meat loosens easily from the bone. Add a splash of water if the sauce reduces before the meat is tender, then season near the end.Return the meat to the pan and add the passata and 1 cup (250 ml) water. Simmer with the lid ajar for about 2 hours, until the rib meat loosens easily from the bone. Add a splash of water if the sauce reduces before the meat is tender, then season near the end.
Boil the cavatelli in well-salted water until they float plus one minute, 4 to 6 minutes total.
Toss the cavatelli with the sauce (meat lifted out for the second course, or shredded back in, house rules vary), loosening with pasta water. Pecorino over everything.
Equipment
Pasta BoardRaw wood grips the dough so each piece curls as you drag it.
Dutch OvenTwo hours at a lazy simmer: a heavy pot keeps the bottom from catching.2 options
Cavatelli Maker · OptionalSpeeds things up if you make cavatelli often; fingertips are the traditional way.
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Estimated per serving
- Calories
- 712 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbohydrates
- 57.7 g
- Fat
- 40.2 g
- Fiber
- 4.6 g
Per serving · 1/6 of the recipe Ingredient-based estimate; brands and preparation change the result. Assumes 65% edible meat and fat from bone-in ribs; actual bone proportion varies. Includes both pasta and the edible meat. Wine-alcohol retention estimated at 10%; sodium omitted for unknown pasta-water uptake.
Nutrition sources: CREA Centro di ricerca Alimenti e Nutrizione · USDA Agricultural Research Service
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