Sicilian Pork with Spaghetti
Hello, readers, today I have another incredibly easy pasta dish that is easy and takes less than 30 minutes to cook, so you can have a delicious dinner on the table in no time, it is Sicilian-style pork tenderloin with pasta, tomatoes, pine nuts, and raisins.
This just might be one of my favorite pasta dishes to make at home, even!
Pork tenderloin is a very lean cut of pork that is tucked under the pig’s back muscle, or loin. It is incredibly tender, and has lots of protein, but because it’s so lean it can become dry easily.
This dish will combat that dryness by crusting the pork in fennel seeds and parsley for extra flavor and to help seal in the juices, it will then be lightly seared then cooked into a chicken stock-based sauce that’ll be sucked up by some pasta.
I’m getting hungry just thinking about it, so let’s get cooking!
Sicilian Pork with Spaghetti
Servings: 4
Kosher salt
1 pork tenderloin.
4 tablespoons of olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of fennel seeds, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish.
2 quarts worth of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup of pine nuts
1/3 cup of golden raisins
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth/stock
1/4 cup of freshly grated pecorino Romano, plus more for topping
1 pound of spaghetti
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Remove the silver skin from the pork by first digging a sharp knife into the center of the strip, then, while pulling on the skin, slide your knife across until all of the silver skin is removed, but most of the pork is left on there.
The silver skin is a strip of connective tissue found on both beef and pork, this skin is very chewy, even when cooked, so it must be removed before cooking.
Once the silver skin is removed, rub the pork all over with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, doing this will add some extra fat to the pork to make sure it stays moist and will allow the seasoning and crust we’re about to build to stick to it better.
Season the pork all over with salt and pepper.
Lay the chopped fennel seeds and parsley onto a plate or other flat surface, then roll the pork onto it to completely coat.
Next, heat a large oven-safe skillet with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. Add the pork, and cook until it’s lightly seared on all sides.
We don’t want to cook the pork completely at this stage because it will become dry later, we’re just looking to sear it and seal it in that fennel-parsley crust.
Remove the pork to a plate, then add the tomatoes, pine nuts, and raisins and cook until the tomatoes start to soften and the nuts are lightly toasted. Add the garlic, then cook for another minute, or until fragrant.
I am a sucker for the multi-color pack of cherry tomatoes, I love the variety of color you get, but regular red cherry tomatoes is fine. Also, I know the raisins might sound odd, but pork and fruit are a very natural pairing, so go with me on this.
Once the tomatoes are softened, add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Return the pork to the pan, top the pork with the grated pecorino, then transfer to the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the pork reaches a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees.
Believe it or not, pork tenderloin is at its best when it’s still slightly pink, it becomes very dry when cooked to well done.
While the pork is cooking, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until al dente, which should take 7-9 minutes. Save about 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
See that? I can do dried pasta. It doesn’t always have to be made by hand.
Once the pork is cooked, transfer it to a cutting board and leave to rest for at least 3 minutes.
Toss the pasta with the tomato and chicken stock mixture, then cook over medium-low until the sauce has slightly thickened, adding some of the pasta water if needed to adjust the consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
You’re not going to get a super thick, creamy sauce, but rather a broth that’s full of flavor. It makes for a nice, light, summery pasta dish.
Divide the spaghetti mixture among bowls, then thinly slice the pork and lay it on top of the spaghetti. Finish with some more pecorino and some chopped parsley.
Wow, can you believe how quickly that came together?
The pork is incredibly tender and flavorful thanks to that fennel crust, the broth is also full of flavor from the tomatoes, the raisins, the pork, and it’s just an incredibly easy dish that your family will love.
