Pork Ragu (My Signature Silky White Ragu)

5 from 60 votes

This is my signature silky pork ragu and it will absolutely blow your mind. Pork shoulder braises in white wine, milk and stock with fennel seeds, pancetta and loads of herbs until it melts into the most luscious, savoury white ragu. The sauce becomes velvety and rich, clinging beautifully to any pasta shape, fresh or dried.

Pappardelle pasta in a white pork ragu sauce in a white bowl. A fork is resting into the pasta.

Hi! This ragu will always be close to my heart because it was one of the very first recipes I ever created. Over the years I’ve made it countless times, and it still surprises me with how luxurious and flavor packed it is. A silky white ragu feels a little different to the usual tomato versions, and once you try it, you’ll understand why I love it so much.

If you aren't confident to cook with pork shoulder (it is easy, I promise!) then head to my White Bolognese recipe. It has the same flavor profile but uses ground meat. To make the ragu even more special you could make some pasta from scratch. Homemade Pappardelle or Homemade Orecchiette would be amazing!

Why you'll love this pork ragu

It’s a total crowd-pleaser. Every single person I make this for goes quiet at the first bite, it’s that good!
It tastes like something you’d order in a restaurant. Elegant, rich and deeply flavorful.
It’s different in the best way. A white style ragu feels special and unexpected compared to the usual tomato versions.
Even better the next day. Like all great ragu sauces, the flavors deepen overnight and it reheats beautifully so a great one to make ahead.

What is a white pork ragu?

A white ragu (or ragù bianco) is made with white wine, milk and stock instead of the usual tomatoes and red wine. The pork becomes incredibly tender and the sauce turns silky, savory and creamy without being heavy. It’s a beautiful alternative to a classic tomato ragu. If you prefer a red version, my Beef Cheek Ragu or Beef Short Rib Ragu are a must.

Ingredients

Pork shoulder - I use boneless pork shoulder and cut it into 4–5cm chunks. Leave most of the fat on, it melts into the sauce and makes the ragu silky. You can skim any excess off at the end.

Pancetta - I buy pancetta in a whole piece and dice it myself. You can often find it in specialty food stores. Bacon works if you need to substitute.

Soffritto - Finely dice the onion, celery and carrot, or pulse them in a food processor. The smaller the pieces, the better they melt into the sauce.

Fennel seeds - Add warmth and a subtle sweetness. They’re tiny but make such a difference, please don't skip!

White wine - I use Sauvignon Blanc, but any dry white wine works well here.

Milk - Use whole milk. It helps tenderise the pork and creates that silky, white style sauce.

Chicken stock - I love the flavour of chicken stock in this ragu, but any good quality stock will work.

Herbs - thyme, rosemary and sage are my favourite trio here and please try not to substitute for dried, it's never the same.

Lemon - A squeeze of lemon juice in the ragu and a little zest to finish add the perfect burst of freshness to cut through the richness.

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How to make it

The full ingredient list, detailed method and video are in the recipe card below, this is just for a visual overview.

The first step is to season the pork pieces well with salt and pepper and sear them in a fry pan until golden.

Pancetta sizzling in a Dutch oven on a stove top.

1. Fry the pancetta or bacon in a heavy bottomed oven proof dish until golden.

Celery, onion and carrot mixture frying in the pot.

2. In the pancetta fat, gently fry the carrot, onion, celery and fennel seeds until softened, about 10 minutes. After 5 minutes add the garlic.

Pork chunks in the soffritto mixture with wine reducing.

3. Return the pork and pancetta to the pot, mix and add the wine. Let it reduce for 5 - 7 minutes at a simmer.

Liquids added into pot with a bunch of herbs tied together sitting on top.

4. Add the stock and milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Place the herbs on top, cover and place in the oven for 2 hours until the pork pieces pull apart easily.

5. It will look quite split straight out of the oven. Remove and discard the herbs then pull all the pork pieces out, shred with two forks and mix back in. Add the lemon juice and season to taste.

Meat broken up into sauce, creamy and rich looking.

6. If serving straight away you can keep it at a gentle simmer to reduce slightly while you cook your pasta. Add ¼ cup cream to help bring it together.

Finishing for pasta

Pork ragu simmering in a stainless steel fry pan.

7. Add as much ragu as you want to serve (I allow a cup per person) into a large pan and let it gently simmer.

Cooked pappardelle pasta bubbling with the sauce in the pan.

8. Add your cooked pasta in with a splash of pasta water and let it gently bubble away for 2-3 minutes. Add more cream if you wish.

Tips for making this ragu

Make it ahead. This ragu is even better the next day. It will solidify in the fridge, just reheat and loosen with a splash of pasta water or a touch of cream.
Don't rush the browning. Give the pork and pancetta time to get golden. Color adds a huge amount of flavor to a meat sauce.
The smaller the onion, carrot and celery pieces, the better they melt into the sauce.
Chop the soffritto really fine and give it time to cook right down until soft and sweet. It adds incredible depth to the ragu.
Keep the heat low. A gentle simmer gives you the silkiest texture and prevents the milk from splitting.
For serving. Add your pasta directly into the ragu and let it gently bubble away together for 2-3 minutes. I undercook dried pasta by a minute for this reason. I allow a cup of sauce per person.

Pappardelle in a white pork ragu with a fork resting into the noodles. Lemon zest on top.

Common questions

Can I make this ragu ahead of time?

Yes and you should! This ragu tastes even better the next day as the flavors develop. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently and loosen with a splash of pasta water or cream.

Can I use a different cut of pork?

Pork shoulder (also called pork butt) is best because it stays juicy and tender during the long braise. Avoid lean cuts, they will dry out.

Can I make this without wine?

You can replace the wine with extra stock, but the flavour won’t be quite as deep or complex. The alcohol cooks off completely. The lemon juice in the recipe will add acidity though.

Will the milk split?

If the heat is too high, the milk can look a little separated but don’t worry. Once the pork cooks down and you shred it into the sauce, it becomes silky and creamy.

How do I fix a ragu that’s too thin or too thick?

If it’s too thin simply simmer uncovered until it reduces down. If it’s too thick then loosen with a splash of stock, cream or pasta water.

Some other pasta dishes to try

Make sure you check out my all of my pasta recipes and in particular my meat pasta sauces for all kinds of delicious dishes to impress your guests. Here are some other slow cooked pasta sauces that you should add to the list.

Did you make this recipe?

I would LOVE it if you could leave a review and star rating down below. Also please tag me on Instagram if you share a photo of the dish!

Recipe

White Pork Ragu

5 from 60 votes

Author: Emilie Pullar

Prep time:30

Cook Time:2 30

Servings: 6 people

Print Recipe Pin Rate

A silky, savoury pork ragu where pork shoulder is braised in white wine, milk and stock instead of red wine and tomatoes. It’s tender, flavoursome and outrageously delicious.

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Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
1 kg boned pork shoulder cut into chunks
250 grams pancetta chopped
1 onion finely chopped
2 stalks celery finely chopped
2 small carrots finely chopped
2 tsp fennel seeds
6 cloves garlic minced
1 ½ cups dry white wine
1 ½ cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups milk
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 - 5 fresh sage leaves
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice
¼ cup cream optional
Lemon zest and parmesan to serve

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 160 fan (320 fahrenheit)
Season the pork with salt and pepper and heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium - high heat (or I do it in two pans at once to save time). Brown the chunks on all sides and set aside. Keep any fat that has rendered to pour into the onion mixture.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy bottomed oven proof saucepan and fry the pancetta for 10 mins until browned, lift out onto a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat behind.
Add the onion, carrot, celery, fennel seeds and a good pinch of salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until soft, around 10 minutes. Lower heat if it starts to brown and add more oil if it dries out. After 5 minutes add the garlic and continue cooking.
Add the pork and pancetta to the pan and mix.
Add the wine and simmer to reduce the wine by at least half - 5 - 7 mins.
Add the stock, milk, and another good pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
Tie the rosemary, thyme and sage together with kitchen twine to make a small herb bundle and put it on the top of the liquid. (if you don't have kitchen twine or string just place the sprigs loose on top).
Cover and cook in the oven for two hours. The pork pieces should pull apart easily, if not then cook for another 30 mins and check again.
A big note here is that the sauce may look broken and split, this is just the nature of this kind of ragu! I promise once you pull the meat apart and mix it all together it will be fine.
Remove the pork and shred pieces with two forks and then return to pan and give it a good mix. If there are some large pieces of fat that haven't rendered feel free to discard them.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and add a big squeeze of lemon juice.
If there is too much liquid, reduce on the stove top at a gentle simmer uncovered.
Add the ¼ cup of cream if using (highly recommend as it helps bring the sauce together).
If eating straight away, cook your pasta in a pot of boiling salted water then mix with the ragu.
Serve between heated plates or bowls and top with lemon zest and parmesan. ENJOY!
If making ahead it will solidify in fridge, gently re-heat on the stove top and you can add some pasta water or extra cream if needed.

Video

Notes

Pork - Pork shoulder (also called pork butt) works best here. It has enough fat to stay juicy during the long braise and becomes incredibly tender. Avoid lean pork, it can dry out.

Pork Fat - Don’t trim the pork too much. Remove the skin and any huge chunks of hard fat, but leave the softer fat on as it melts into the sauce and helps make the ragu silky. You can discard any fat that hasn't rendered at the end.

Pancetta - Pancetta adds a savoury, salty base to the sauce. Substitute with bacon.

Milk - Milk helps tenderise the pork and gives the sauce its signature silky texture. Don’t skip it, it’s essential in a white ragu.

Make Ahead - Like all meat sauces, this gets even better the next day. It reheats beautifully and freezes well for up to 3 months.

Re-heating - When you refrigerate it will solidify a lot but will come back to life when you gently re-heat on the stove. Pasta water and the ¼ cream will help.

Author: Emilie Pullar

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 2 30

Course: Meat Sauces

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: pork ragu, white pork ragu, white ragu

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