I am always in search of easy recipes that taste great and go from a weeknight to a dinner party with little to no changes. Recently, we visited a local restaurant owned by former Top Chef contestant, Mike Isabella, where we had the best pork ragu. {If you remember that season, I can attest to the pepperoni sauce being as AH-MAZING as the judges made it seem on the show.} It was one of those pure comfort dishes that tasted amazing. It was also something I had never considered making it at home. But, I went home determined to make some and came up with this slow cooker pork ragu with gnocchi.

The crockpot is a great way to make pork ragu because it cooks low and slow until the meat is so tender that it literally falls apart. It is also one of the rare slow cooker recipes I have found that actually need to cook for as long as I am away at the office during the day. It is the perfect option for my busy work days.

I use fresh gnocchi from the store but you could easily make your own or buy dried gnocchi on the pasta aisle. The little potato dumplings are the perfect compliment to the rich ragu.

Slow Cooker Pork Ragu Ingredients:

1/2 Tbsp oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
3 lb pork shoulder or country style pork ribs
salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup crushed tomatoes
2 sprigs rosemary
1/2 cup heavy cream
Potato gnocchi

Let’s Make It:

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened. Add thyme and oregano and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat and transfer to bowl of slow cooker.

Season pork with salt and pepper and add to slow cooker. Add in wine, chicken broth, tomatoes and rosemary. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove pork and shred. Return to slow cooker and stir in heavy cream. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until heated through.

Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Serve topped with pork and sauce.

I think I could probably eat this almost every day of the week and be totally happy. It has just the right amount of creaminess and goes so perfectly with the little gnocchi. H loves to add some grated Parmesan on top because you can never go wrong with adding cheese, right?!

Do you use your slow cooker often to help get dinner ready even when your schedule is packed? What are some of your favorite comfort food recipes?

Essential Items for this Recipe:

Slow Cooker // Gnocchi // Strainer // Stockpot or Pasta Pot

Pork Ragu with Gnocchi

2016-03-02 05:20:41

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Ingredients

1. 1/2 Tbsp oil
2. 1/2 yellow onion, diced
3. 2 garlic cloves, minced
4. 1 tsp dried thyme
5. 1 tsp dried oregano
6. 3 lb pork shoulder or country style pork ribs
7. salt and pepper
8. 1/2 cup dry white wine
9. 1 cup chicken broth
10. 1 cup crushed tomatoes
11. 2 sprigs rosemary
12. 1/2 cup heavy cream
13. Potato gnocchi

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened. Add thyme and oregano and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat and transfer to bowl of slow cooker.
2. Season pork with salt and pepper and add to slow cooker. Add in wine, chicken broth, tomatoes and rosemary. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove pork and shred. Return to slow cooker and stir in heavy cream. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
3. Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Serve topped with pork and sauce.

By Shannah

My Suburban Kitchen https://www.mysuburbankitchen.com/