Pappardelle pasta with pork ragout

Ingredients:

• 450 g pork shoulder (2 pieces)
• 2 tbsp olive oil + extra for drizzling
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 0.5 cups red wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• A pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 can (800 g) of canned plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 220 g pappardelle pasta
• 0.5 cups parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
• Handful of basil leaves, torn + extra for serving
• Grated Parmesan, for serving

Preparation:

1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot, season both sides of each piece of meat with salt, add them to the pan, and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, onion, bell pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir, and partially cover. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Add the wine, bay leaf, thyme, crushed red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until most of the wine has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Place the meat (and any juices) between the vegetables, then add the pureed tomatoes and 1 1/2 cups water (rinse the can of tomatoes thoroughly with water and use 1 1/2 cups of this water). Bring to a vigorous boil, then reduce heat and partially cover the pot.
3. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender and falling apart, and the sauce has thickened, about 2 hours. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the pan and add any browned bits back to the sauce. Remove the pork pieces and let them cool slightly; finely chop the meat, then add them back to the sauce. The sauce is now ready to serve, or you can cool it, refrigerate it, and reheat it the next day.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions. Set aside about 1 cup of the water and discard the rest.
5. Add parsley to the sauce and season with salt to taste. Thin the sauce slightly with the pasta water and add torn basil. Divide the pasta among bowls and top with some of the ragu. Drizzle each serving with a little olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and a few basil leaves.