Mary Callahan's Italian Rigatoni (Part I)
Try this Mary Callahan's Italian Rigatoni Part I recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Mary Callahan's Italian Rigatoni Part I recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 0.2912 g
- Cholesterol 34.048 mg
- Fat 14.03584 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 6.384 g
- Saturated Fat 5.04896 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (45g)
- Sodium 327.488 mg
- Sugar 0.2912 g
- Trans Fat 0.757119999999998 g
- Calories 155 calories
Step-by-step
- Place all ingredients in a pan and cover with the water.
- Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer for approximately 1 1/2-2 hours.
- Discard small bones.
- The original recipe calls for ribs, but Im afraid of the bones, so I substitute about 3/4 pound of boneless pork.
- Any type will do fine.
- While this is cooking, start the meatballs <Part II>
Simmering the pork ribs, sausage, onions, and chopped garlic together for one and a half to two hours creates a rich braising liquid that deeply seasons the meat. Water is added simply to cover the ingredients, acting as a medium that slowly reduces into a concentrated, savory broth while the connective tissues break down. Keeping the heat at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil prevents the proteins in the sausage and pork from seizing up and becoming tough.
Substantial braised meat sauces like this one respond exceptionally well to advance preparation, making them ideal candidates for batch cooking. Storing the mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days allows the flavors to meld completely, while the fat solidifies harmlessly at the surface for easy skimming before reheating. Freezing is equally viable, provided the small bones are discarded entirely beforehand to prevent puncturing storage bags during expansion.
Reheat the thawed base slowly over medium-low heat on the stovetop, adding a splash of water if the reduction has thickened too much during storage. Boneless pork works reliably as a direct substitution for bone-in ribs at roughly three-quarters of a pound, though bone-in cuts inherently contribute more body to the surrounding liquid through dissolved collagen. Adjusting the salt levels should happen only after the braise has finished reducing, because long simmering significantly concentrates the initial sodium.
Pair this hearty protein sauce with extruded pasta shapes like rigatoni, which possess wide hollows and rigid ridges capable of catching heavy meat fragments. Acidic green salads dressed simply with red wine vinegar and olive oil cut through the richness of the pork fat and sausage without competing for palate space.
