Italian Pulled Pork Ragu (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, Stove)

1 Smart Points 93 Calories

A hearty sauce made with Pulled pork, tomatoes, roasted peppers and fresh herbs. Wonderful served over pasta, spaghetti squash or spiralized noodles.

I’ve tested this several ways, in the slow cooker, pressure cooker and stove and it comes out great any way you wish to make it! Pork tenderloins are a great lean option and come out very tender. Browning them first really adds depth of flavor to the sauce. This sauce is incredibly light, so even if you want this over pasta which is how my husband ate it, it’s still a low calorie dish.

A hearty sauce made with Pulled pork, tomatoes, roasted peppers and fresh herbs. Wonderful served over pasta, spaghetti squash or spiralized noodles.

If you want this over spiralized zucchini, the question I get asked often is how I cook them. I like to heat a large skillet on very high heat, add a little oil and cook them really quick, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes tops then quickly remove from the skillet so they don’t continue cooking. This way they still have a little bite to them and don’t get watery and mushy.

Italian Pulled Pork Ragu (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, Stove)

Pulled pork is not just for sandwiches, it’s wonderful in this hearty sauce which is perfect over pasta, spaghetti squash or spiralized noodles.

Ingredients:

18 oz pork tenderloin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

black pepper, to taste

1 tsp olive oil

5 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a knife

1 (28 oz can) crushed tomatoes (I love Tuttorosso)

1 small jar roasted red peppers, drained (7 oz jar)

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, divided

Directions:

Instant Pot: Season pork with salt and pepper. Press saute button to warm, add oil and garlic and saute until golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon. Add pork and brown about 2 minutes on each side. Add the remaining ingredients and garlic, reserving half of the parsley. Cook high pressure 45 minutes. Natural release, remove bay leaves, shred the pork with 2 forks and top with remaining parsley. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Slow Cooker: Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add oil and garlic and saute until golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon. Add pork and brown about 2 minutes on each side then transfer to the slow cooker with the garlic and the remaining ingredients, reserving half of the parsley. Cook 8 hours low. Remove bay leaves, shred the pork with 2 forks and top with remaining parsley. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Stove Top: Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add oil and garlic and saute until golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon. Add pork and brown about 2 minutes on each side. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot including the garlic, reserving half of the parsley. Bring to a boil, cook covered on low until the pork is tender, and shreds easily, about 2 hours. Remove bay leaves, shred the pork with 2 forks and top with remaining parsley. Serve over your favorite pasta.