Creamy Pasta with Braised Pork, Shishito Peppers, and Basil

Ingredients

Pork

2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 4 pieces

2 tbsp olive oil

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 garlic, minced

4 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 cup water

Pasta

8 oz orecchiette or cavatelli

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Confit garlic (recipe in Step 1)

1 cup shishito peppers, chopped

2 cups braised pork (from above)

1/2 cup torn basil leaves

5 tbsp good-quality mayonnaise

1 tbsp Banyuls vinegar (or sherry vinegar)

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Preparation

1. Make the 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 and add to the pan with oil. Add whatever fresh herbs you like — thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf work well — along with 1 tbsp of black peppercorns. Heat over the lowest possible flame until the garlic is buttery and soft, about 30 minutes. Do not bring to a boil; low and slow is essential.

2. Cook the pasta in a large pot of generously salted boiling water until al dente per package directions. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water before draining. Set aside.

3. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Heat the olive 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.

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

5. Increase the heat to medium. Add the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in the stock and water. Return the pork and any accumulated juices to the pot, nestling it into the liquid.

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

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

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