Spicy Pork and Butternut Squash Ragu — The Giving Away of What the Season Offered

Cole Hartfield signed on formally this week — we drew up a simple written agreement about the apprenticeship terms, what I'd pay him for the learning period, how we'd handle the accounts he takes over eventually. He's starting January 5th. I've been thinking about how to teach what I know, which turns out to be a different problem than knowing it. The knowledge has accumulated over years through repetition and watching and mistake and correction, and translating that into deliberate instruction requires making explicit what I do automatically. That's useful for me too. It forces articulation.

COVID in the news is heavy again — a third wave building nationally, the Midwest hit badly, talk of restrictions tightening before winter. Montana has been relatively spared relative to other states but the winter numbers are going to change that. I've been thinking about how the apprenticeship plays out if things lock down again. Outdoor work continues regardless, which farrier work mostly is. But the social fabric of it — the coffee in clients' kitchens, the conversations across the fence — is something I've valued and that COVID reduces.

Elk jerky this week, from the silver skin trimmings and the flank meat. Marinated overnight in soy sauce, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, black pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder. Dried slowly in the oven at the lowest setting for eight hours. The result is dark and intensely flavored and keeps for months without refrigeration. I vacuum-seal it in small bags and it goes to Tom, to some of my farrier clients, to Father Brannigan at the parish. The giving away of elk products is its own tradition, the distribution of what the mountain offered.

Putting up the jerky — the vacuum-sealing, the labeling, the stacking of small bags to be handed off to Tom and the farrier clients and Father Brannigan — always puts me in a particular frame of mind, one that’s less about what I’ve made and more about what gets shared. With Cole starting in January and the winter tightening around the valley, I wanted something on the stove that carried that same instinct: a big, spicy, patient ragu that fills the kitchen with warmth and makes enough to pass along. This pork and butternut squash version has the depth and heat I was after.

Spicy Pork and Butternut Squash Ragu

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Total Time: 70 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground pork
• 3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried sage
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)
• 1 lb rigatoni or pappardelle, cooked to package directions

Instructions

1. Brown the pork. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned and no longer pink, about 7–8 minutes. Drain excess fat and transfer pork to a plate. Season with 1/4 tsp salt.
2. Soften the aromatics. Return the pot to medium heat and add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, dried sage, and black pepper. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Add the squash. Stir in the butternut squash cubes, coating them in the spiced oil. Cook for 3 minutes, letting the squash begin to take on some color at the edges.
4. Build the ragu. Return the browned pork to the pot. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Stir everything together, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Season with remaining 1/2 tsp salt.
5. Simmer low and slow. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover partially and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash is completely tender and the sauce has thickened. Adjust seasoning to taste.
6. Finish and serve. Toss the ragu with cooked pasta directly in the pot, or spoon generously over individual portions. Top with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan if desired. Leftovers keep refrigerated for up to 4 days or freeze well for up to 3 months.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 390 | Protein: 26g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 540mg