Pork ragu pappardelle is a juicy and flavourful pasta dish made with lean ground pork. This low-fat bolognese sauce is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner the entire family will love.

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Pork ragu may not be as common as beef or lamb ragu but that doesn't mean it's not delicious. There are lots of recipes out there for pork shoulder ragu, but lean ground pork is an excellent alternative.
You can have this delicious pork bolognese on the table in just 45 minutes by using ground pork.
Just like with any other ragu recipe, this pork ragu is super easy to make your own.
I like to make it with fresh herbs and red wine, but it's just s good with a tablespoon of Italian seasoning mix and chicken broth instead of wine. You can also add mushrooms or other veggies if you like.
Why you'll love this easy pork ragu
- It's filled with simple ingredients. You can cook the best ground pork ragu with just a handful of straightforward ingredients.
- It has a good amount of veggies. Many ragu recipes don't include carrots or celery but this one has finely diced veggies for a healthier dinner.
- It's low-fat. Since it's made with lean ground meat, this pork pasta sauce is great if you're looking for a low-fat bolognese.
Ingredients and substitutions
Olive oil — Use a quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavour. You only need a tablespoon of it, but if you prefer not to cook with oil, you can saute the veggies in chicken stock instead.
Onion, carrot and celery — The onion, carrot and celery trio is a staple of Italian cooking and just perfect for this pork mince bolognese.
Garlic — Freshly chopped or minced garlic is perfect for this pork ragu recipe.
Ground pork — Lean ground pork with 5% fat is perfect for this healthy ragu You can use fattier meat, but you may need to drain some of the fat as it cooks.
Fresh thyme and rosemary — Freshly chopped herbs infuse this ragu with so much flavour. If you don't have any, use a tablespoon of Italian seasoning mix instead.
Red wine — Any dry red wine will work well in this ragu. I typically use a Cabernet or Shiraz for depth of flavor. If you don't cook with wine, you can substitute it with chicken broth.
Tomato paste + chopped tomatoes — This combination gives the best tomato flavour for the sauce. You can use crushed tomatoes instead of chopped.
Pasta — Pappardelle pasta are perfect for this pork ragu but tagliatelle or spaghetti are other great choices.
Parmesan — Freshly grated parmesan is always best for ragu.
How to make pork ragu
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan or Dutch oven and fry the onion, carrot and celery stalks for 7-8 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for another minute.
Add the ground pork and cook for 4-5 minutes until slightly browned. Break it up with your spoon as it cooks.
Stir in the fresh thyme and rosemary, then pour in the red wine and cook for a minute or two until most of the alcohol evaporates.
Stir in the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 until the sauce thickens.
Meanwhile, cook the pappardelle al dente in salted water according to the instructions on the package and reserve a cup of starchy pasta water before draining.
When the sauce is ready, stir in the pappardelle (adding a splash of pasta water if it looks too thick. Next, stir in the Parmesan, season to taste and serve immediately, with some extra grated Parmesan on top if you like.
Leftovers and storage
- The ragu will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. It's best to store it without the pasta in it.
- Reheat the pork ragu in the microwave or on the stovetop and serve with freshly cooked pasta.
- You can freeze the ragu for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers or Ziploc bags.
Recipe notes and tips
- You can add some mushrooms to the ragu sauce to up the veggies content even more.
- If you have time, simmer the meat sauce for 30-40 minutes to get the best flavours.
- You can serve the pork ragu over creamy polenta instead of pasta.
- Add half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes if you want the sauce to have a bit of a kick.
- You don't have to stir in the pappardelle if you think you'll have leftovers. Simply divide the cooked spaghetti between individual bowls and spoon the pork bolognese over each. Refrigerate any leftover sauce.
- This pasta is just perfect on its own, but if you want a side, some garlic bread is a good choice.
If you liked this easy pork ragu with pappardelle, you might also like some of my other easy pasta recipes:
- Easy Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Easy Kielbasa Pasta
- Pasta e Piselli (Pasta and Peas)
- Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Pasta
- Creamy Chicken Piccata Pasta
Looking for more delicious inspiration? Follow Skinny Spatula on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Easy Pork Ragu Pappardelle
Pork ragu pappardelle is a juicy and flavourful pasta dish made with lean ground pork. This low-fat bolognese sauce is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner the entire family will love.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 medium carrot, diced or grated
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 450 g (1 lb) lean ground pork
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 75 ml (⅓ cup) dry red wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 x 400 g (14 oz) can chopped tomatoes
- 250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock
- 300 g (10.5 oz) pappardelle
- 30 g (⅓ cup) freshly grated parmesan
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan or Dutch oven and fry the onion, carrot and celery stalks for 7-8 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Add the ground pork and cook for 4-5 minutes until slightly browned. Break it up with your spoon as it cooks.
- Stir in the fresh thyme and rosemary, then pour in the red wine and cook for a minute or two until most of the alcohol evaporates.
- Stir in the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 until the sauce thickens.
- Meanwhile, cook the pappardelle al dente in salted water according to the instructions on the package and reserve a cup of starchy pasta water before draining.
- When the sauce is ready, stir in the pappardelle (adding some of the reserved pasta water if it looks too thick. Next, stir in the Parmesan, season to taste and serve immediately, with some extra grated Parmesan on top if you like.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 380Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 414mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 33g
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
Leann says
This was delicious! I too did not use the wine and used dried rosemary and thyme and it came out perfect- minus the fact that I over salted it- but that was my fault. Can’t wait to make it again for guests!
Emma says
I made this for dinner (minus the red wine), and my husband loved it so much he asked me to keep making it every week! I used dried herbs instead of fresh because that's what we had on hand. We liked adding habanero sauce for a kick of heat.
Alice says
Hey Emma, I love to hear that this recipe was a winner; thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! Habanero sauce sounds like a great addition.