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Spicy Pork Ragu with Oregano and Mascarpone

The Goulds of Portland, Maine's Central Provisions and Tipo serve this sauce with a housemade rye cavatelli, but regular cavatelli or rigatoni will do. According to Chris Gould, the agrumato lemon oil—created by milling lemons and olives together—adds brightness tempered with a bit of fat. “It’s more of a round flavor than a sharp flavor,” he says. The ragu can be made up to a week ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use.
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Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 pounds ground pork
  • 1 yellow onion minced
  • 1 small carrot minced
  • 1 red bell pepper minced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon agrumato lemon oil or 1 tablespoon olive oil mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • 1 pound fresh or dried cavatelli or rigatoni
  • ⅓ cup mascarpone cheese
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves chopped
  • ⅓ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Instructions
 

  • Combine first 5 ingredients in a piece of cheesecloth, gather ends, and tie with butcher’s twine to create a sachet. Set aside.
  • Coat bottom of a large pot with canola oil. Add pork and brown over high heat, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer pork to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
  • Add onion, carrot, and bell pepper to fat remaining in pot and cook until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Deglaze pot with wine, scraping up any brown bits. Return pork to pot, along with prepared sachet and cover pot. Simmer over low heat for 2 hours, or until sauce is reduced.
  • Add soy sauce, lemon agrumato oil, fish sauce, and vinegar. Season with salt.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook pasta for 2 minutes less than instructed on package. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water.
  • Stir cooked pasta, mascarpone, and ½ cup of pasta cooking water into ragu and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, allowing flavors to meld. (If sauce seems dry, gradually add remaining pasta water to achieve desired consistency.) Garnish with oregano and Pecorino Romano and serve.