Ground Pork Pasta

The market continues its steady climb. I had 4 showings this week and 1 offers. My reputation precedes me now — the Greek agent who tells the truth about roofs and brings food to open houses. Worse reputations exist.

I drove to Tarpon Springs for Sunday dinner. The drive takes forty minutes if the traffic behaves. It never behaves. But I make the drive because the table at Mama's house is non-negotiable, and Sunday dinner is the thread that holds this family together.

Mama is 85 and still at the bakery at 4 AM. I do not know how much longer she will do this. I do not ask. You do not ask Voula Papadopoulos about endings. You stand next to her and roll phyllo and trust that the beginning continues as long as the hands are moving.

I made keftedes tonight — Greek meatballs with mint and oregano, pan-fried until crispy outside and juicy inside. The universal Papadopoulos crowd-pleaser. We ate at the kitchen table, just the three of us, and for a moment the house was not quiet or loud — it was exactly right. Full. Fed. The sound of forks on plates is the sound I love most in this world.

The olive oil in my kitchen is from a Greek import shop in Tampa that sources from Kalamata. It is expensive. It is worth it. I use it on everything — salads, fish, bread, vegetables, the edge of a pot of soup — because olive oil is not a condiment in this family, it is a philosophy. Use it generously. Use it without apology. Use it the way you use love: poured freely, never measured, always more than you think you need.

The keftedes were gone before the plates were cleared, which is how it always goes at Mama’s table — the best things disappear fast and leave you grateful they existed at all. On the weeknights when I can’t make the drive to Tarpon Springs but still need something that feels like that kitchen, I turn to this ground pork pasta: the same generous hand with olive oil, the same honest simplicity, the same philosophy of feeding people well without making a production of it. It is not keftedes, but it carries the same spirit — and in this family, spirit is the ingredient that matters most.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

12 oz rigatoni or penne pasta
1 lb ground pork
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for finishing
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Grated Parmesan or Kefalotyri cheese, for serving

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
Brown the pork. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork in an even layer and cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until browned on the bottom, then break apart and continue cooking until no pink remains, about 5 minutes total. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Build the base. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Deglaze and simmer. Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it reduce by half, about 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and return the browned pork to the skillet. Stir to combine and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Combine. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time if the sauce needs loosening. Finish with a generous drizzle of olive oil and the chopped parsley.
Serve. Divide among bowls and top with grated Parmesan or Kefalotyri. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ground Pork Pasta — The Weeknight Version of a Sunday Table