Quick Fix: Pork Chop Ragu with Salad
I was craving something simple yet flavorful, and an Italian-style ragu immediately came to mind. In Italy, 'ragu' refers to a rich, ground meat-based sauce traditionally served over pasta.
For a quick and easy twist, I decided to prepare this ragu using a whole pork chop, making the process even more convenient without sacrificing taste. To enhance the depth of the sauce, I stirred in a bit of tomato paste. Fresh basil, with its fragrant aroma, not only brightens the dish but also adds a vibrant pop of color, elevating the entire meal.
HELPFUL HINTS:
Any type of low-sodium pasta sauce can be used.
Any type of long cut pasta such as spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccini can be used.
2 tablespoons tomato paste are needed. Freeze and extra for another time.
The salad recipe is given to complete the dinner. Use any type of salad you have on hand.
COUNTDOWN:
Assemble all ingredients.
Place water for pasta on to boil.
Make the pork chop ragu.
While pork cooks, boil pasta.
Assemble salad.
SHOPPING LIST:
To buy: 3/4 pound boneless pork chop about 1-inch thick, 1 bottle balsamic vinegar, 1 jar low-sodium pasta sauce, 1 small can tomato paste, 1 bunch fresh basil, 1/4 pound spaghetti, 1 piece Parmesan cheese, 1 bag washed, ready-to-eat lettuce and 1 bottle reduced fat salad dressing.
Staples: olive oil, onion, garlic.
Pork Chop Ragu
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 pound boneless pork chop, about 1-inch thick
1 cup sliced onion
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2-cups low-sodium pasta sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, divided use
3 ounces spaghetti
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Bring a large saucepan 3/4 filled with water to boil for the spaghetti. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and brown 2 minutes. Turn chops over and brown 2 minutes. Remove chops to a plate. Add the onion to the skillet and saute 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the balsamic vinegar for 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and 1/4 cup basil leaves. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and return chops to the skillet. Cover the skillet with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes. A meat thermometer should read 145 degrees. While the pork cooks, add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook 10 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain into a colander and divide between two dinner plates. Spoon the pork and sauce over the spaghetti. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup basil and Parmesan cheese on top.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 583 calories (23 percent from fat), 14.9 g fat (3.3 g saturated, 5.0 g monounsaturated), 104 mg cholesterol, 52.1 g protein, 60.4 g carbohydrates, 6.7 g fiber, 317 mg sodium.
Salad
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
4 cups washed, ready-to-eat lettuce
2 tablespoons reduced-fat oil and vinegar dressing
Mx the lettuce and dressing together. Divide into two portions and serve on the plates with the pork ragu.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 27 calories (41 percent from fat), 1.2 g fat (0.1 g saturated, 0.3 g monounsaturated), 1 mg cholesterol, 1.2 g protein, 3.8 g carbohydrates, 2.0 g fiber, 13 mg sodium.
Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eater
an hour ago
- Eater
Highly Opinionated: Detroit's Most Exquisite Tartares
It's no secret that Detroit has a love affair with beef — from the fresh, regenerative ground meat smash burgers made at Melway Burgers to the classic chili that slathers the coney dogs at Duly's. But as a recent transplant to the city, I was surprised to learn just how much raw meat is consumed here. You can't go too far in Detroit without encountering an exciting riff on steak tartare or a classic kibbeh nayeh (raw lamb or beef mixed with bulgar wheat). In fact, when I describe Detroit's restaurant scene to friends across the country, it's not the coney dog or Detroit-style pizza that I suggest is this city's signature dish — it's steak tartare. Raw meat links prestigious new American restaurants like Selden Standard, Grey Ghost, and Mabel Gray. Tartare graces the menus at steakhouses both old and new, whether at the historic London Chop House or at the stylish, modern Wilder's in Birmingham. Tartare is a common thread among restaurants with a focus on ethical sourcing like Ladder 4 and Marrow. Raw meat is also ingrained in Detroit's vast Arab American community, where at Lebanese restaurants the aforementioned kibbeh nayeh is a fixture. To put it simply, Detroit is tartare city, whether people recognize it as such or not. I've been a resident of Detroit for more than a year now, and I have sampled many different types of tartare in that time. It's one of those dishes where if I see it on the menu, I have to try it (if for no other reason than to further this growing hypothesis that Detroit is tartare central). There are an infinite number of ways to enjoy the dish, but here are a few that I keep coming back to. I grew up in a small, Western Pennsylvania town where Levantine cuisine is prominent. In fact, there's a neon sign hanging at my favorite six pack bar and to-go restaurant that reads, 'Lamb & Smelts.' Summer cookouts weren't just hot dogs and hamburgers; they were also skewered legs of lamb, toum, and pita bread. Sunday dinners in my mostly Italian family meant pasta, but my Greek grandmother also made sure that stuffed grape leaves and fried kibbeh were on the table. From a culinary standpoint, moving to Detroit felt like home, but it felt more exciting , too. The vastness of Levantine cuisine is on full display here, and Leila is a restaurant that I've absolutely adored since moving to the city. It's one of those special places a traveler can point to and go, 'There's not many restaurants like this in the country.' Leila's kibbeh nayeh is prepared relatively traditionally — a mix of finely minced raw lamb, bulgar wheat, and spices spread flat on a small plate, dragged with a fork, and topped with chopped onions and mint. What's so interesting about Leila's raw kibbeh is how it's engineered : Small, slivered cups of white onion surround the dish, and act as a vessel to scoop and pile the raw meat. A small slice of jalapeño, a delicate leaf of fresh mint, and bam — you have everything you need in one single, clean bite. Another reason Leila rocks: Upon request, you can ask for a bottle of olive oil for the table. A little drizzle into each kibbeh filled onion cup makes the experience even more luxurious. Do as the Lebanese do, and enjoy kibbeh nayeh with Arak, a potent, anise-flavored drink made cloudy when it connects with water (or ice cubes). It's a smooth and aromatic accompaniment. I'm not a huge fan of bone marrow. Something about it feels particularly gluttonous and macabre. But chef Javier Bardauil doesn't paint with broad strokes. The multi-time James Beard semifinalist has gotten national recognition over the years for his dedication to live-fire cooking and Argentine-influenced creations, but he doesn't nearly get enough credit for how he wields acid. Everything at Barda stings with lovely acidity. The scallop ceviche features sour green apples and a deeply flavorful leche de tigre. Barda's wreath-shaped zucchini ceviche in the summer is delicate, but bright and mouth-smacking, and his chimichurri lacerates through the char of thickly cut, wood-fired steaks. There's a lovely dichotomy to the food at Barda — it is all at once carnal and virtuous. Take the steak tartare. Here, the high-quality beef is mixed and marbled with capers, cilantro stems, whole-grain mustard, and finely minced jalapeño. A pile of sharp horseradish is grated on top for good measure. The dish comes served classically with slabs of grilled sourdough toast brushed with tallow, and a thick log of roasted bone marrow for scooping out gelatinous tissue. Javier's use of tangy, piquant ingredients tame the meatiness of his tartare, one that uses three different kinds of beef — ground, tallow, and marrow. Even as I think about it right now, I can taste the sharpness of this spectacular dish. It's one of the city's best. The first time I visited Selden Standard was mere days after I moved to the city in April of 2024. Alone, at the bar, I had a seasonal orecchiette pasta dish with anchovy, lemon, rapini, and stracciatella that just totally blew me away. I also enjoyed a tartare served with endive, a wonderful deviation from the standard toast points. Indeed, the vessels for Selden's tartare change often, but I had recently encountered a great one served with tangy, homemade sourdough. At Selden, the dishes rotate with the seasons, ingredient availability, and whims of the chefs in the kitchen. One thing you can count on, however, is a damn good steak tartare, which is always on the menu in some form or another. This one, enjoyed in May, simply featured raw beef, egg jam, and marinated onions. But oh, it's so much more than that. The raw beef has beef fat mixed in with it, and the onions are caramelized and then marinated with fish sauce, sherry vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. It comes plated with fresh parsley, chives, and tarragon, making this one of the more herby steak tartares I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. There's many different flavors here, but they all sing the same hymn — praise be to the church of raw beef. See More:
Eater
an hour ago
- Eater
Highly Opinionated: The Best East Coast-style Pizzas in Austin
Skip to main content Current eater city: Austin From New Haven 'apizza' and Trenton tomato pies to classic, foldable New York slices, these Austin pizzerias are top-notch Jun 12, 2025, 2:22 PM UTC I'll preface this by saying: I am not one of those 'everything is better in New York' New Yorkers. Since moving to Austin from Brooklyn a few years ago, I've found many local dishes that beat what I could find in New York (good luck trying to find any decent barbecue or Tex-Mex up north). But growing up in the suburbs of New Haven, Connecticut, and living in New York for over 15 years did have one major perk: the pizza was incredible. In New Haven, I feasted on ultra-thin pizzas with coal-charred crusts. In New York, the foldable, portable, flawlessly simple New York slice served as my go-to quick and satisfying meal. As a result, my standards for pizza are high and unapologetically East Coast-centric, and I stand by my conviction that the Tri-State area of Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey produces some of the best pizza — not only in the country, but in the entire world . Sadly, my initial search for pizza in Austin left me disappointed. I'll admit, my standards weren't totally fair. Austin's pizza scene and history are much different and shorter than those where I grew up. But even though a serviceable slice could be found in Austin, I began to fear that finding a memorable example of New York, New Haven, or New Jersey-style pizza was a pie-in-the-sky (excuse the pun) — up until now. In the last couple of years, Austin's pizza landscape has blown wide open. Artisanal pizzaiolos have raised the bar, launching restaurants, trucks, and food stands that finally give Tri-State transplants something to chew on. Here are the best spots for New Haven, New York, and New Jersey-style pizza in Austin, ranked. In the small Connecticut city of New Haven, apizza (pronounced 'ah-beets') is a complete lifestyle. Locals take great pride in their coal-fired, thin-crust, deeply charred, and asymmetrically sliced pies. This glorious gold standard of regional pizza specialties is tough to find outside Elm City. But thanks to a Connecticut pizzaiolo in Austin, scoring apizza is possible. Connecticut native Kelsey Small launched Small's Pizza in 2021 as a pop-up, and later found a temporary home on the grounds of East Austin cafe Mercado Sin Nombre before moving to a pop-up counter at Springdale General in Far East Austin. True to tradition, Small's Pizza only sells whole pies, all of which are asymmetrically sliced, deeply charred, and absolutely irresistible. The smoky crust is perfectly burnished. The sauce is piquant and sprightly. The cheese has just the right amount of pull, and whether you opt for classic toppings like pepperoni or anchovies, a very New Haven choice like sausage and peppers, or one of Small's Pizza of the Week concoctions (the garlic mashed potato is especially unique), you can't go wrong. I have yet to see a white pie topped with clams — the most famous style of New Haven apizzas, at Small's, but if and when they finally make that leap, I'll be there to give it an enthusiastic try. Pro tip: To get a pie from Small's, call the shop's number, which still uses Kelsey's original 203 New Haven area code, to place your order. Then, pick up your pie at the tiny but efficient counter. Kelsey is planning to relocate in June. Stay up to date by checking the official Instagram page. What makes a real New York slice? A thin hand-tossed crust; a light spread of tomato sauce; a layer of grated mozzarella (plus optional toppings); and foldability. Most importantly, New York pizza is generally meant to be sold by the slice, which involves a deep level of lore. New Yorkers tend to eat their pizza on the go, so slices must easily fold in half so they can consume them while rushing down the sidewalk or the subway station stairs, and if the cost of a subway fare exceeds the average price of a slice of pizza, New Yorkers might actually start to panic). With two locations in Central Austin, Allday Pizza is known for its expertly made pizzas with flexible, flavorful crusts, all available by the slice or in whole pie form. In proper New York form, Allday's hefty slices crease perfectly lengthwise down the middle when bent. Still, they are seemingly larger than the typical New York slice (the only exception might be the gigantic versions sold at Koronet near Columbia University, but hey, everything's bigger in Texas). The balance of sauce, cheese, toppings, and crust is spot-on, and even though I'm in South Austin (pssst, Allday, we'd love a location down here!), my New Yorker heart will surely bring me back to Allday Pizza on a regular basis. The Trenton tomato pie is New Jersey's signature, and yes, Pennsylvanians might try to claim it, too., Anyone who loves the tangy, garlicky, slightly sweet flavor of a good tomato sauce will understand why, but they aren't identical. Both feature a swirl of tomato sauce on top of the pizza cheese, which is the star of the tomato pie show, but where Philly's pie is square-shaped and thick, the Trenton pie is thin, crispy, and circular. New Jersey takes rightful pride in their sweet, tangy, and juicy homegrown tomatoes, so their claim to the tomato pie feels justified. Such a niche pizza in Austin can be hard to find, but Pedroso's Pizza, located next to Lala's Little Nugget in Crestview, does Trenton tomato pies justice. The crust has just the right level of char and is topped with a smooth tomato sauce with a whisper of sweetness, and a springy, crackly layer of mozzarella. Beyond the tomato pie, Pedroso's also slings New York-style pies and thin, square-shaped 'Grandma' pies, a Long Island invention named for the nonnas who baked their crispy, olive oil-laden pizza crusts on sheet pans. Deft Pies: Chicago is known to take its pizza seriously. Some will assert that deep dish pizza isn't pizza (IMO, it's lasagna with a crust), but tavern-style pizza is the Windy City's underrated gem. Think: ultra-thin, snackable crust, cut into crispy squares meant to eat with a cold beer. The best place to grab one is, appropriately, at a brewery. Deft Pies, located in Old Gregg's Brew Company, makes a stellar version. Chef John Bates, formerly of Interstellar BBQ, turns out pies like the zingy Southside, topped with red sauce, Italian sausage, giardiniera, mozzarella, provolone, and Parmesan. Jet's Pizza: Yes, Jet's is a national chain, and there are other Detroit-style pizza spots in Austin (VIA 313 is a noteworthy Austin-born brand) But ask any Detroiter in Austin, and many will tell you there is no better place to go for pizzas that taste like home. With five locations in Austin, homesick Detroiters and curious pizza lovers can indulge in square-shaped pies with crunchy crusts, abundant stretchy cheese, and an assortment of toppings, including the ever-popular 'roni (pepperoni) cups. See More:
Buzz Feed
6 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
46 People Who Were So, So Wrong
This may come as a shock to some, but Mario's Italian. Also, Chinese and Japanese are not the same thing. person forget about the American Revolution? This person forgot other countries exist. How can anyone be this dumb? no. Oof. Do people really think Jesus wrote the Bible? Pretty sure you learn dolphins are mammals in primary school. In case you didn't know, thermodynamics is a branch of physics. The '90s: famously, a time when race-related issues and discussion didn't exist. I'm no Christian, but isn't that one of the most famous parts of the Bible? I think we've failed our children. This person probably should've looked up "cisgender." Sorry to include one from lockdown times, but that time brought out the WILDEST anti-vax rhetoric. Where did this person even learn this??? This parent was really, REALLY wrong about what the slang "salty" means, and should probably get their mind out of the gutter. This parent was also wrong in so many ways. I hope the person who sat down and typed, "it's not like there's a place called Spania full of Spanish *people*" was trolling. You gotta love when someone is so swiftly and completely proven wrong. This person thought Mount Everest was in South Dakota. This person might want to open a dictionary. Along with this person. This person got a little confused about flags. This person was reallyyyyy wrong about what a hamburger was. This person thought eggs were dairy. In case you didn't know..."reed" is not the past tense of "read." Neither is "red." What school did this person go to??? Maybe leave scientific terms to scientists and doctors if you have absolutely no idea what they mean. The person who sent this article may go down in history as one of the "most wrong people ever." This person forgot about other languages. This person needs to take a geography class. Same with this person. Aaaand this person. I don't think this person has ever had a sex ed lesson in their life. Neither has this person. *Ben Wyatt voice* I don't even have time to explain how wrong you are. Actually, it's gonna bug me if I don't... These people were both wrong. The second person here really wanted to look smart, but ended up being dead wrong. ...Yeah, that's not right, bud. Oof. This person was real confused about compasses and directions. This person thought rubber trees were fake trees made of rubber. This person was also have a little trouble with math. This person thought ducks aren't birds. This person thought plants don't produce oxygen. This person made a really head-scratching statement. And finally, this person seemed to think Tesla was founded by Nikola Tesla himself.
