Pork mince pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and balsamic vinegar is a fairly quick and simple ragu sauce that makes a fantastic mid-week meal.
Most meat sauces for pasta are associated with long, slow cooking; this is different and will go from your fridge to your table in around 40 minutes.
Minced or Ground Pork Pasta Ragu
Meat sauces for pasta are often associated with long and slow cooking. I have my fair share of them on my website with everything from beef cheek ragu, duck ragu and even wild boar ragu making appearances.
But sometimes you want a quick, meaty sauce for pasta, stuff like my quick spicy chicken mince pasta and Italian sausage ragu make regular appearances on our table.
My latest offering is a gloriously simple pork mince sauce to serve with pasta.
Rather than going heavy with wine and tomatoes, this recipe plays with the sweet and tangy tones of balsamic vinegar.
The addition of sage, anchovies and sun-dried tomatoes bring a complexity and deep flavour to a dish that can be cooked and prepared in around 40 minutes.
All you have to do is choose your pasta, and you are ready to rock and roll!
Frequently Asked Questions
What sort of pasta is best to use?
I have used mezzi rigatoni in the photos on this page; they are a shorter version of regular rigatoni, which would work equally well.
But as with most ragu-style meat sauces, this is pretty versatile. It would be fine with everything from spaghetti to pappardelle and conchiglie to gnocchi!
What pork fat content do you use?
Low-fat pork has its uses in the kitchen, but for me, in this recipe, you want pork with a reasonable fat content. I usually go for 10-15%, but you can go as high as 20% and it will taste awesome.
You can use 5% lean pork mince, but it will result in pretty dry meat.
Do I have to add the anchovies?
No, but you will be losing a significant "lump" of flavour. Anchovies melt into the sauce and give it a round, umami richness; the dish doesn't end up tasting of "fish".
What is an OXO cube?
This question is often asked by US visitors to my site, OXO cubes are a brand of stock cube.
I like to use them as a seasoning because they are pretty small, and should only be diluted by 190ml (around ¾ cup) of water.
You can use other forms of stick cube, but you will likely need around a third to half of a regular stock cube.
Serving Suggestions
Pasta dishes are so often a "TV dinner" for me, and as a result, I tend to keep my sides super simple and pretty quick.
My usual go-to is either some garlic baguette or cheesy garlic bread.
However, I do have a deep love of this soft potato focaccia bread at the moment. It is great for making in bulk, freezing and then reheating in an air fryer from frozen.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 20cm or 8" saucepan.
- 28cm or 11" frying pan.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Colander or sieve.
- Grater.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Pork Mince Pasta Recipe with Balsamic Vinegar
Ingredients
- 350 g Minced Pork 12oz
- 1 Large Echalion or Banana Shallot 75g
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 3 Anchovy Fillets
- 50 g Sun Dried Tomatoes in Oil ¼ Cup
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 3 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Chicken Oxo Cube
- 1 teaspoon Dried Sage
- 75 ml Water ⅓ Cup
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil Use the Olive Oil from the Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- 175 g Dried Pasta 6oz (I use Mezzi Rigatoni)
- Salt For boiling pasta
- Grated Parmesan For Garnish
- Fresh Parsley For Garnish
Instructions
- Cut the shallot in half, peel it and then dice it as finely as you can.
- Bash the garlic cloves with the side of a knife, peel them, then dice them as finely as you can.
- Chop the sun-dried tomatoes into a 5mm (just under ¼") dice.
- Heat a 28cm (11") frying pan over a medium heat and when it is hot, add the olive oil followed by the shallots and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Crank the heat up to high, and when the shallots and garlic start to sizzle hard, throw in the minced pork and cook for 4-5 minutes, to get a nice colour.
- Add the tomato puree and anchovy fillets and fry for 1 minute.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the balsamic vinegar, crumble in the stock cube, and add the sage, black pepper, and sundried tomatoes. Pour in the water and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan as you go. Add a lid and cook for 10-12 minutes whilst you cook the pasta
- Cook the pasta until al dente in the now-boiling water.This will take 10-14 minutes, depending on your pasta.
- Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the meat sauce, stir to combine, adding as much of the cooking liquid as required to form a nice sauce.
- Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and parsley.
