[Leftover] Pork Shoulder Pasta

Last week I slow cooked a large pork shoulder, we got from the farmer's market.  It was tasty, and fatty, and RED, and the way pork is supposed to be.  Yay, Slow Food!  Anyway, it was a large shoulder, 2-3 lbs, and there were leftovers.  When I got back in town, the next day my mother-in-law came to town.  I made dinner.

Pork Shoulder Pasta
(serves 5)


Ingredients:

• 1lb Roasted Pork Shoulder
• 1/4 Yellow Onion, sliced
• 6 Button Mushrooms, sliced
• 3 Mini Bell Peppers, sliced
• 4 Cloves Garlic, roasted in oil, smushed
• 4 Servings "Jarred" Tomato Sauce
• 2 Pinches of Salt
• 10 "Grinds" fresh black pepper
• Pinches Fresh Oregano and Sage, minced, to taste
• 4 Servings of Dried Pasta, cooked, drained

I wanted to add some roasted garlic to the pasta, so I started by pulling apart a head of garlic, putting it in aluminum foil,  pouring on some olive oil, and popping it in a 300 degree oven for about an hour.

While doing that, I broke down the shoulder (pulled) into small bite sized pieces.  These I put in a 12-inch flat bottomed sautee pan with about 1/2 cup of water, on medium heat, to render out some of the fat.  I then sliced three mini-peppers, 1/4 of a yellow onion, and 5 button mushrooms.

After about 20 minutes, the water had clouded with some released pork fat.  As the water cooked off, the pork began to sizzle in its own fat.  I added the onions, and started to sautee them in the fat.  Next, I added the mushrooms and some more water (to dissolve and spread all the flavors), and covered the pan for about another 20 minutes to cook the 'shrooms.

Next, I uncovered the pan to allow the water to cook off.  I added 4 cloves of roasted garlic, mashed in the pan, and the peppers, stirring in the water to spread the sweet garlic-y goodness.  On the other eye, I cooked off some wheat cappellini.  After another 15 minutes, I added the tomato sauce and let everything meld for another 15 minutes.  Added a spoonful of goat cheese.