"I love to make homemade tomato sauce with pork chops over rigatoni," Andrew says. "This recipe is one my italian mother taught me years ago."

Mama Mandolene's Homemade Tomato Sauce for Rigatoni with Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4 family-style pork chops with fat remaining

1/4 cup olive oil

2 large yellow onions

5 fresh garlic cloves, chopped

1 bunch fresh celery leaves, chopped

Sea or kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

8 large, ripe garden tomatoes, chopped

1 large can tomato paste

1 pound rigatoni

Lots of fresh grated pecorino romano cheese

Method:

1. In a large stock pot over medium heat, cook olive oil, onions, garlic, pork chops, salt, and pepper. Cook the pork chops about ten minutes each side, stirring.

2. Add celery leaves and continue cooking for another 30 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Mix in tomatoes and continue cooking over medium heat about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

4. Stir in tomato paste. Cook an additional hour on low heat, stirring occasionally.

5. Carefully remove the pork chops from the sauce, trying not to let them break, and set aside to plate with rigatoni.

6. Cook rigatoni pasta as per package directions.

7. Gently mix rigatoni with sauce in the same sauce pan. Plate the rigatoni with tender pork chops on the side. Sprinkle generous amount of fresh pecorino roman cheese over the rigatoni.

Andrew's tip: Serve with mixed green lettuces dressed with good olive oil, red wine vinegar, sea or kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, grated pecorino cheese, and garbanzo beans.

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