The Cornell Restaurant + Bar is pure Kingston—steeped in the Rondout’s maritime history as befits a beautifully refurbished historic building on the waterfront—winning hearts and tastebuds with a laid-back yet subtly elevated ambiance.
Try The Cornell for a lunch or dinner destination, or stop in for a Happy Hour cocktail or their sumptuous Brunch Buffet. Then try your hand at making this Spicy Pork Rigatoni at home, for the fam or for guests; it’s a crowd pleaser. Consider making your sauce a day ahead; it’s one of those dishes that’s even better after a night in the fridge.
“Our Spicy Pork Rigatoni is all about slow-cooked flavor and a little heat,” restaurateur Dave Amato says. “Braised pork shoulder and hot Italian sausage create a rich, savory sauce that coats every bite of rigatoni, while fresh ricotta adds a cool, creamy finish.
“It’s hearty, comforting, and just spicy enough—the kind of dish that brings together simple ingredients, time, and technique to create something memorable and the perfect cold-weather comfort dish.”
“It’s hearty, comforting, and just spicy enough—the kind of dish that brings together simple ingredients, time, and technique to create something memorable and the perfect cold-weather comfort dish.” – Restaurateur Dave Amato
spicy
Spicy Pork Sauge Ingredients
Serves 4-6
• 1-1⁄2 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into large pieces
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp canola or olive oil
• 3⁄4–1 cup chicken stock, plus more as needed
• 2 sprigs fresh basil
• 1 sprig fresh oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
• 1⁄2 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 2–3 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
• 7–8 oz hot Italian sausage, casing removed
• 4 oz ’nduja (Calabrian hot sausage), casing removed
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1⁄2 cup dry red wine
• 1–2 tbsp Calabrian chili purée, to desired heat
• 1-1⁄2 cups whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
• Sherry vinegar
rigatoni Ingredients
• 1 lb rigatoni
• Prepared spicy pork sauce
• 2 tbsp cold unsalted butter
• 1⁄2 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano,, plus more for serving
• 1⁄2–3⁄4 cup seasoned fresh ricotta
• Zest of 1⁄2 lemon
• Fresh basil, torn
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
directions
1. Slice pork shoulder 1.2"–2" thick. Pat absolutely dry. Season heavily with kosher salt and cracked black pepper on all surfaces. Heat canola oil in a heavy, wide, shallow stainless-steel pan over medium-high heat. When simmering, lay pork in the pan in a single layer (work in batches—do not crowd, or the meat will steam instead of browning). Brown HARD on all sides, 5-6 min per side. You are going for a deep mahogany color, developing a fond (caramelized layer) on the bottom of the pan. This is the dish's flavor backbone; do not rush.
Remove and place pork in a large baking pan. Deglaze the first pan with chicken stock between batches, scraping the fond from the bottom of the pan, and reserving the chicken stock for the braising liquid.
2. Make an herb bouquet with the basil, oregano, and bay leaf. Distribute vegetables (carrot, onion, garlic cloves) on top of the pork. Add herb bouquet. Add hot chicken stock to cover. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on the surface of the pork. Wrap the pan in aluminum foil. Braise in a 350°F convection oven until tender but not falling off the bone. Test at 60 minutes to gauge the progress, it will be about 90 minutes total. Let the pork cool in the liquid, uncovered at room temperature, until cool enough to handle.
3. While the pork is cooking, crumble the hot Italian sausage in large chunks into a rondeau. Brown for 6–8 minutes, breaking apart with a wooden spoon. Develop more fond. Set the browned sausage aside for later. Pour off excess fat, leaving enough to coat the bottom of the pan plus the fond.
Add the ’nduja to the pan; cook 2–3 minutes, stirring to break up—’nduja melts into a spicy, oily paste. Cook 8–10 minutes over medium until softened and darkened in color. It will change from a bright orange-red to a deeper maroon shade.
4. Add tomato paste; toast 2 minutes, stirring constantly—paste should darken slightly. Deglaze with red wine. Scrape the fond from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Reduce wine by half—about 4–5 minutes. Add the Calabrian chili purée and the whole San Marzano tomatoes WITH their juice. Crush each tomato by hand directly into the pot—they should be roughly broken, not puréed. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook gently for 30 minutes or longer to marry the flavors.
5. Remove the pork meat from the braising liquid. Strain the liquid, discarding the vegetables and herb bouquet. Reserve the braising liquid to add back to the sauce. Pick meat by hand into chunky bite-size pieces (1-inch pieces, not finely shredded, so the sauce keeps texture). Discard any large unappetizing chunks of fat.
6. Add the picked pork and browned sausage to the pot. Add braising liquid as needed for the proper consistency. Simmer 20-30 minutes. Taste. Adjust salt cautiously (sausage and ’nduja are heavily salted). Adjust Calabrian chili purée if more heat is needed. Add a dash of sherry vinegar if needed to bring up the acid. Cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Sauce flavors deepen overnight; it is best served the next day.
TO Serve
Cook the rigatoni until just shy of al dente, then finish it directly in the spicy pork sauce with a splash of pasta water. Fold in the cold butter and Parmigiano until the sauce becomes glossy and coats the pasta. Plate with dollops of seasoned ricotta, lemon zest, torn basil, crushed red pepper, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
cocktail : 1837
There’s nothing like a standout cocktail to complement a hearty meal. Serve your guests The 1837, a classic that’s likely to be a whole new discovery. Made with delicately floral elderflower liqueur, an egg-free vegan foaming agent, and a delicious puree with a bit of lemony zing.
Serves 1
ingredients
• 1-1/2 oz vodka
• 1 oz cucumber purée
• 1/2 oz St‑Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• 3 dashes of Fee Brothers Fee Foam
Puree Ingredients
• 1/2 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
• 5-6 leaves fresh basil
• 1/2 oz simple syrup
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 3 oz water
directions
Combine all purée ingredients in a blender. Purée until completely smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Keep refrigerated until service and use 1 oz per cocktail.
The Cornell Restaurant + Bar
100 Rondout Landing, Kingston
845-331-4283, cornellkingston.com
