Rigatoni with Pulled Pork Ragù

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan).

Step 2

Line a roasting tin with a sheet of foil (it must be large enough to fold over the pork towards the end of cooking). Remove the string and unroll the pork joint. Remove excess liquid if necessary and place the joint in the tin.

Step 3

Combine in a small bowl the salt, pepper, mustard powder and oregano. Rub the mix all over the meat, coating it thoroughly. Re-roll the pork, there’s no need to replace the string, and put it in the oven for about half an hour.

Step 4

After 30 minutes, reduce the oven to 150°C (130°C fan). Remove the roasting tin from the oven and place the garlic and bay leaf in with the pork, pressing them close to the joint.

Step 5

Combine your tinned tomatoes and balsamic vinegar and pour them over the top of the pork so that they pool in the roasting tin. Cover the pork over with the foil.

Step 6

Put the joint back into the oven and leave it to cook for about 5 hours, until beautifully soft and tender.

Step 7

Turn up the oven, back to 220°C (200°C Fan). Uncover the pork and pour off the tomato sauce. Put the sauce in a large pan and heat gently on the hob until your meat is cooked.

Step 8

Put the joint back into the oven for 10 minutes if you want it to crispen up, then remove from the heat, cover again with the foil and allow it to rest for about half an hour.

Step 9

While the meat is relaxing, cook your rigatoni until al dente according to the packet instructions. When the pasta is cooked, drain it thoroughly - reserving a few spoonfuls of the starchy water to loosen the sauce if required.

Step 10

Using two forks, shred the pork into pieces and add it to the tomato sauce. Stir well to thoroughly combine. Transfer the rigatoni to the pork ragù and toss to ensure each piece of pasta is coated.

Step 11

Sprinkle over the Parmesan and a few basil leaves to serve. Buon appetito!