Pappardelle With Pork Sugo And Hazelnuts

This one was a weird one.  First what is a Sugo, and second how does Nutella tastes with pork?  Well, that's what I initially thought when I saw Hazelnuts.  It turns out, hazelnuts can be used in other foods besides on waffles.

D made this on Sunday.  It was very good.  An Italian Pulled Pork, basically.  Because Kroger didn't have any tomatoes in stock, we used canned San Marzano tomatoes (thankfully we were at the fancy Kroger). He thought it needed more of a tomato flavor.  I thought it tastes just fine. We also used Penne and not Pappardelle because Kroger charges $5/8.8 oz of Papparedelle, and I think that is ridiculous for some wheat, eggs, and water.

I have no idea if it was easy or hard...he seemed to be in the kitchen a lot.  I would have again.  We had with bread.

Pappardelle With Pork Sugo And Hazelnuts

Photo by ALB

SERVINGS: 8
Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients
5 large plum tomatoes, quartered (Used canned San Marzano tomatoes since Kroger decided not to sell fresh ones on Sunday)
7 garlic cloves, 1 finely grated, 6 left whole
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Kosher salt Freshly ground pepper
½ cup blanched hazelnuts
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), fat trimmed, cut into 8 pieces
4 large shallots, quartered
2 cups red wine
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
5 sprigs oregano, plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped
5 sprigs thyme, plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces Grana Padano cheese, finely grated, plus shaved for serving
1 pound fresh or dried pappardelle (used 1 lb of penne, because 8 oz of pappardelle was $5).

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°. Toss tomatoes, grated garlic, and 1 Tbsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange tomatoes, skin side down, in a single layer; season with salt and pepper. Roast until browned around the edges, about 25 minutes. Set aside. 


Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Toast hazelnuts on another baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Let cool; coarsely chop. 


Reduce oven temperature to 275°. Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium-high. Cook pork in batches, turning occasionally, until brown, 8–10 minutes; transfer to a platter. 


Add shallots and whole garlic cloves to same pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add wine, scraping up any browned bits; bring to a boil and cook until wine is reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Return pork to pot and add milk, broth, and reserved tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Tie oregano and thyme sprigs together with kitchen twine; add to pot. Cover and transfer to oven. Braise meat until very tender, 2–2½ hours. 


Remove from oven; discard herbs and use a potato masher or pair of forks to shred pork and mash vegetables into medium-size pieces. Gradually add butter and grated cheese, stirring as you go to fully incorporate into sugo. 


Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, transfer to a platter, and toss with half of sugo. Serve topped with hazelnuts, chopped oregano and thyme, and more Grana Padano.


Do Ahead
Sugo can be made 1 week ahead. Let cool; cover and chill, or divide in half and freeze up to 3 months.

Nutritional Information (My Fitness Pal)
Calories: 679; Total Fat: 29 g; Saturated Fat: 9 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 89 mg; Sodium: 414 mg; Potassium: 762 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 57 g; Dietary Fiber: 6 g; Sugars: 10 g; Protein: 36 g