Salsiccia e Costine in Padella
Salsiccia e Costine in Padella·(sal-SEE-cha eh co-STEE-nay in pah-DELL-ah)
Il Sugo della Domenica: The Sacred Sunday Supper
Six-thirty on a Wednesday, the dream of a four-hour Sunday project is dead, replaced by a heavy skillet and the slow reduction of pork fat, wine, and tomato. Standing at the stove, you cheat time by mimicking the intense, sun-baked depth of traditional strattu by frying double-concentrated tomato paste directly in the rendered drippings, building the foundation for bone-in pork ribs and sweet fennel sausages yielding their essence to a rich, dark sugo. Keep the heat medium so the fat renders, and slice the bread.
Ingredients
- bone-in pork spareribs1 lb
- sweet Italian sausage1 lb
- extra-virgin olive oil2 tbsp
- yellow onion1 med
- double-concentrated tomato paste3 tbsp
- dry red wine1/2 cup
- tomato passata24 oz
- dried bay leaves2 large
- red chili flakes1/4 tsp
- fennel seeds1/4 tsp
- kosher saltto taste
- black pepperto taste
- dried rigatoni or ziti1 lb
Method
- 01
Brown the meats fiercely in a wide skillet.
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet or braiser over medium-high heat, then sear the seasoned ribs on all sides until deeply caramelized, pushing them aside to brown the sausages.
- 02
Build the aromatic base in the rendered fat.
Lower the heat to medium, add the diced onion, chili flakes, and fennel seeds to the center of the pan, and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent.
- 03
Fry the tomato paste to mimic traditional strattu.
Clear a spot in the pan, squeeze in the tomato paste, and fry it directly on the heat for two minutes until it darkens to a brick red, unlocking a profound umami depth.
- 04
Deglaze the skillet with red wine.
Pour in the wine, scraping up every last browned bit from the bottom, and let it bubble aggressively until the harsh smell of alcohol is completely gone.
- 05
Add the tomatoes and prepare to simmer.
Stir in the passata along with a half cup of water to rinse out the jar, tuck in the bay leaves, and drop the heat to the absolute lowest setting.
- 06
Let it braise until the meat yields to the bone.
Cover with the lid slightly ajar and let it gently bubble—what the Sicilians call pippittiare—for roughly two hours, until the sauce is slick with orange oil and the pork is incredibly tender.
Notes
Serve it in two courses, the way it was meant to be eaten.
Toss your boiled pasta with the rich red sauce and serve it as the primo, followed by a communal platter of the tender braised meats and a crusty loaf of bread.
Embrace the day-after magic.
This sauce tastes exponentially better on day two; simmer it leisurely on a Sunday, chill the whole covered skillet in the fridge, and gently reheat it for an effortless, spectacular Wednesday night dinner.