Easy Slow-Cooker Pork Ragù

Ingredients

For 8 servings

• •1 rack St. Louis–cut ribs (3 to 4 pounds; 1125 to 1350 g), cut between bones into 3 equal pieces
• •1 c. à soupe (9 g) Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, divided; for table salt, use half by volume or the same weight
• •1 /2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• •1 medium yellow onion (8 ounces; 226 g), finely chopped
• •2 medium carrots (6 ounces; 170 g total), finely chopped
• •3 cloves garlic, minced
• •3 sprigs fresh thyme
• •1 sprig fresh rosemary
• •1 dried bay leaf
• •2 tasse (480 ml) homemade or store-bought passata di pomodoro (see notes)
• •1 tasse (240 ml) homemade chicken stock , or store-bought low-sodium broth
• •1 /2 cup (120 ml) dry red wine (preferably an Italian wine such as Chianti)
• •1 /4 cup (60 ml) tomato paste
• •1 c. à soupe (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• •1 lb (450 g) homemade fresh pasta dough, cut into 1- to 1 1/2–inch wide ribbons or store-bought fresh or dried pappardelle

Method

1. 1.Sprinkle rib portions evenly all over with 2 teaspoons (6 g) salt and pepper, rubbing seasoning into ribs so it adheres; set aside.
2. 2.In the slow cooker, add onion, carrot, garlic, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, passata, chicken stock, red wine, tomato paste, olive oil, and remaining 1 teaspoon (3 g) salt. Whisk vigorously to combine well.
3. 3.Nestle pork ribs into sauce, turning to coat and laying flat to cover with liquid as much as possible. Cover and cook until pork is tender and falling off the bone, 6 to 7 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.
4. 4.Use tongs to discard rosemary sprig, thyme, and bay leaf. If needed, use a ladle or wide spoon to skim excess fat from the top of sauce. Use tongs to remove the rib bones. The bones should slide off the meat easily. Keeping everything in the slow cooker, use a potato masher to mash until meat is broken down into small shreds and bite-sized pieces.
5. 5.To serve, in a large pot, cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until just shy of al dente (about 1 minute for fresh pasta or 1 minute short of recommended cooking time for dried pasta). Drain, reserving about 1 cup of starchy pasta water. Return pasta to the pot you just cooked it in and add half of ragù, ½ cup cooking water; reserve remaining ragù for future use (see notes). Cook over medium-high heat, stirring until the sauce emulsifies with the pasta water and clings to the pasta, adding more pasta water a few tablespoons at a time if necessary. Serve immediately.