Pork Ragu and Squash Toast Points

Wine:
Kosta Browne 2007 Rose of Pinot Noir
Kosta Browne 2005 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Bea received a new shipment of Kosta Browne wine. She had been sick and finally was able to come to dinner. She brought some new and old Kosta Browne wine for us to drink.

The New York Times had a recipe for Pork Ragu. We had never made a pork ragu and we were eager to try it. It is a great pasta sauce! We will definitely add it to our list of recipes to repeat!

We went to Mozza Pizzer1a and had a delicious appetizer: Butternut Squash Purée with Bacon on Toast. We asked and they said it was fairly simple, split the squash and roast for about an hour with butter, salt and pepper, until soft. Scoop out the pulp and blend with brown butter to smooth. We added an extra Kabocha Squash along with the Butternut Squash. We Spread mixture on toast points and top with crispy bacon. It worked and was wonderful.

For dessert we had Brownies from Clementine.

Pork Ragu
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2 pounds ground pork shoulder
1/2 pound pancetta, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, cut into slivers
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 heads fennel, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup red wine, like Sangiovese
1 (28-ounce) can peeled whole San Marzano tomatoes and their juices
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon roughly chopped parsley
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
Ravioli or rigatoni, cooked to al dente
Grated Parmesan cheese.
1. Season the meats all over with salt and pepper.
2. In a large saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, garlic, celery, fennel, carrot, thyme and 2 large pinches of salt. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes more. Add the ground meat and brown over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. Deglaze the pan with red wine and cook at a lively simmer to reduce the wine, about 5 minutes. Crush the tomatoes with your hands and add them and the bay leaves. Simmer for 2 hours. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
3. To serve, toss the ragu, parsley and oregano with al dente pasta. Divide among warm pasta bowls. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and serve immediately with Parmesan cheese. Serves 6 to 8. Adapted from Incanto in San Francisco.