Pork Ragu with Gluten-Free Penne

Ingredients:
 

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 large carrot, chopped

• 1 stalk of celery, chopped

• ½ large green pepper, chopped

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 lb lean ground pork

• 1 Tbsp fennel seeds

• 1 Tbsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

• 3 Tbsp tomato paste

• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar or lemon juice

• 1 can (15 oz) chopped tomatoes

• 1 cup broth (beef, chicken or veggie broth works equally well)

• 2 cups dried gluten-free penne pasta
   

Directions:
 

In a large cooking pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped carrot and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the green pepper and onion. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
 

Add the ground pork to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pork is no longer pink at all. Turn down the heat to medium-low. Add the fennel seeds, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if using).  
 

Stir in the tomato paste and vinegar or lemon juice. Cook for about a minute, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits stuck to the bottom.
 

Stir in the canned tomatoes and broth. Turn up the heat to get the sauce bubbling. Turn the heat back down to low and continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir the sauce every few minutes while it simmers.
 

While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook until al dente. Before draining the pasta, carefully scoop out about a cup of the cooking water. Set aside the water. Drain the pasta.
 

Check on the sauce. It should be reasonably thick. If you find it too thick, you can thin it with some or all of the pasta cooking water. If you find it too thin, you can add a little more tomato paste. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
 

You can add the pasta directly to the sauce at this point, mixing it all together, or you can serve the dish by plating individual portions of pasta onto plates or into bowls and then spooning the sauce over the top of each portion. (The latter alternative is my go-to method, as I can control the individual portions of each. Plus, if there is leftover sauce, I can cool and freeze it for another meal. This works great for smaller families or if you’re just cooking for yourself.)
 

However you do it, individual portions can be served with your choice of fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, and/or cheese (if you can eat dairy). If you cannot eat dairy (and I hear you because I’m right there with you), great alternatives are a sprinkling of nutritional yeast or dairy-free feta.
 

Makes 4 generous servings.