Creamy Pasta with Braised Pork, Shishito Peppers, and Basil

Ingredients

Pork:

2 lbs boneless pork shoulder trimmed and cut into 4 pieces

1 tsp kosher salt

3/4 tsp ground pepper

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 cloves of garlic, minced

4 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

2 cups stock of choice (I use vegetable)

1 cup water

Pasta:

8 oz of orecchiette or cavatelli pasta, cooked, reserve 1 cup of cooking water

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Confit garlic (recipe follows)

1 cup shishito peppers, chopped

2 cups braised pork (recipe follows)

1/2 cup torn basil leaves

5 tbsp of quality mayonnaise (I use Duke's)

1 tbsp Banyuls vinegar

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a clean plate.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add onion, carrot, and celery to the pot; cook, stirring occasionally until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and bay leaf; cook, stirring, for 1 min. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring for 30 seconds.

3. Increase the heat to medium, and add wine. Cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the wine is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and water. Return the pork and any accumulated juices to the pot, nestling it into the liquid.

4. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Bake until the meat is very tender, 2 to 3 hours. Using 2 forks, shred the pork and reserve for pasta.

5. For confit garlic, cut a bulb of garlic in half and submerge it in about 2 cups of oil in a small saucepan. Alternatively, peel and crush each clove of garlic and add to the pan with oil. Add whatever fresh herbs you would like to infuse your garlic with, such as thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf, along with 1 tbsp of black peppercorns. Heat on low until garlic is buttery and soft, about 30 minutes. NOTE: Do not bring to a boil; low and slow is your friend.

6. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes, garlic, confit garlic, and shishito peppers. Cook, stirring until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in pasta, pork, and 1/2 cup cooking water. Cook, stirring gently for about 2 minutes, adding more cooking water as needed.

7. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil, mayonnaise, vinegar, and salt. Toss to evenly coat.