Braised Pork Ragù with Gnocchi
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This braised pork ragù with gnocchi is tender, savory, and the perfect dinner for a cozy night in! It’s a simple but super impressive meal that your friends and family with absolutely love. With red wine-braised pork shoulder, fresh herbs, and lots of Parmesan, this dish is a huge crowd-pleaser for dinner parties, holidays, or Sunday meals!

This post is sponsored by Chairman’s Reserve® Meats. All opinions are my own.
If food is a love language, then my niche is pasta and braises and other cozy, low-stress (but high reward) dinners. The kind you eat while passing a bottle of wine around the table. The kind where you never even leave the kitchen table, you just hang out laughing with friends all night.
Spicy bucatini carbonara and this shallot-y bucatini cacio e pepe are some of the top requests from my friends. But after years in the kitchen perfecting this ragù, it has officially become a top dinner party contender!
This gnocchi with ragù, a.k.a. gnocchi al ragù, is like a hug in pasta form. After I originally learned how to make ragù when I was in culinary school, I was hooked. It’s cozy, decadent, and melts in your mouth.
Ragù is an Italian meat sauce made with beef, pork, or a mix of different meats. It also has soffritto (carrots, celery, and onion), garlic, herbs, wine, a bit of tomatoes, and a splash of milk to balance the flavors. Ragù is not the same as bolognese. Bolognese is actually a type of ragù from Bologna, Italy!
Boneless pork shoulder
The star of this dish is Chairman’s Reserve® Prime boneless pork shoulder. This cut is perfect for ragù thanks to its higher fat content. Braising it low-and-slow will tenderize the meat and the fat from the pork shoulder will keep the meat nice and moist.
If you can only find bone-in, that’s totally fine too. Just make sure to remove the bones before you shred the meat.
Recipe instructions
The soffritto should be soft and browned on the edges – cook it for at least 5 minutes. This will add a deeper, richer flavor to the sauce.
If there is a lot of fat on the top of the sauce, skim it off with a spoon. Too much fat can make the pasta greasy.
Slow cooker
If you don’t want the oven running all day, you can also make this recipe in a slow cooker! Here’s how to make slow cooker pork ragù:
- Cook the ragù according to recipe directions up to the point where you add the tomatoes, chicken broth, and milk.
- Then, carefully pour the sauce into a slow cooker and nestle the seared pork into the sauce.
- Add a bay leaf, cover, and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours until the sauce is thickened and the pork is fork tender. Shred the meat with forks and enjoy with gnocchi or pasta of choice!
Storing & freezing tips
- Store – pour the sauce into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The flavor of the sauce will continue to develop as it sits!
- Freeze – pour the sauce into a freezer-safe container or zipper bag. Leave a little space at the top for the sauce to expand. Then, freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy the sauce, let it defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat.
For a small batch ragù, simply halve this recipe and keep the cooking methods the same. You can also freeze leftovers for later.
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Braised Pork Ragù with Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds Chairman’s Reserve® Prime boneless pork shoulder, fat trimmed
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 Tablespoons neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
- 1 large yellow onion, small dice
- 3 carrots, peeled and small dice
- 2 celery stalks, small dice
- 8 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 Tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons finely minced fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons finely minced fresh oregano
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 1/2 pounds potato gnocchi
- Parmesan, for serving
- Fresh parsley or basil, minced, for garnish
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven (oven safe)
Instructions
Oven Ragù
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Position a rack in the middle of your oven.
- Cut the pork shoulder into large chunks (about 3-4 inches). Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, sear the pork for 2-3 minutes on each side, until it's golden-brown. Work in batches, if necessary. Place the seared pork on a plate and set aside.
- Drain off all but 2 Tablespoons of the fat from the pot. Return the Dutch oven to medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery (soffritto) along with a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the veggies are softened and starting to brown on the edges, 5-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and oregano. Cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Next, add the tomato paste. Stir the paste into the veggies until it turns dark red, about 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and cook until reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and milk and stir to combine.
- Nestle the pork into the sauce until it's coated. Add the bay leaf. Bring the sauce to a boil.
- Once the sauce reaches a boil, remove it from the heat. Cover the pot and set it on the middle rack of your oven. Bake for 2 1/2-3 hours, until the sauce is thick and the pork is fork tender.
- Carefully remove the pot from the oven and uncover. Remove the bay leaf from the sauce and discard. Then, use two forks to finely shred the pork. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a few generous pinches of salt. Cook the gnocchi until al dente, according to package directions. Using a liquid measuring cup, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the gnocchi.
- Add the gnocchi to the ragù along with 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir, adding more pasta water if necessary, until the gnocchi is coated and the sauce is glossy.
- Divide the gnocchi al ragù between pasta bowls. Garnish with parmesan and parsley or basil. Enjoy!
Slow Cooker Ragù
- To make this recipe in a slow cooker, make it up to the point where you add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and milk (step 6). Then, carefully transfer the sauce to the bowl of a slow cooker.
- Nestle the seared pork into the sauce and add a bay leaf. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the sauce is thick and the pork is very tender.
- Once the pork is done cooking, remove the bay leaf and discard. Use two large forks to finely shred the pork. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the gnocchi until al dente, according to package directions. Using a liquid measuring cup, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the gnocchi.
- Add the gnocchi to the slow cooker along with 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir, adding more pasta water if necessary, until the pasta is coated and the sauce is glossy. Serve the gnocchi with parmesan and basil or parsley. Enjoy!
Bravo! Your unique perspective makes this blog stand out from the rest.
Delicious. Will definitely make again.
Thank you so much, Bonnie! This is one of my favorites, I’m so glad you liked it too. 🙂
This recipe is a keeper! I often order a pork gnocchi dish at a popular local restaurant. Not only is this recipe so very close to my favorite restaurant version – it is in fact BETTER! I’ll make it again for a family celebration! Thank you for sharing this!
Oh WOW, thank you, Cathy! This makes me so happy! Definitely one of my favorite family dinner recipes. 🙂 Hope they enjoy too!