Braised Spare Ribs with Pasta

It's great to be back to No Free Lunch! I'll mainly blame my absence on a particularly busy time at work, plus caring for a baby at home. The other reason is that we've had to go dairy and soy free, at least for the time being. This threw a huge wrench in the works for my cooking, as long time readers will know my love for both cheese and various fermented soy bean products. This has left me in a bit of a rut, cooking-wise, and a lot of our old standbys have gone out the window. Recently, I've developed this dairy and soy free braised spare ribs recipe. It's loosely inspired by Mark Bittman's simple braised ribs recipes featured his book, Mark Bittman's Kitchen Matrix. This is where I got the idea to have ribs with pasta. It's a winning combination, and I don't miss the dairy too much here.

Adding some umami-rich ingredients to braises is an idea that's been floating around the internet for a while (Kenji was an early proponent on Serious Eats). Soy sauce and parmesan rinds are usually my go-to choices, exemplified by my chicken and mushroom pasta from a few years ago. Although soy sauce isn't in that recipe, I have subsequently included some mushroom-flavored dark soy sauce. Since we've had to give up both soy and dairy, I've turned to tomato paste and anchovies for this recipe. I also love some acidity in this type of dish, and include the usual splash of vinegar. If you don't have to omit dairy, I couldn't fault adding some grated parmesan at the table, but we did not do that, of course.

The other benefit of braised ribs is that they are an ideal food for a baby! We have been introducing Shayna to food using baby-led weaning, where we let her explore food on her own rather than feeding her purees. Early on, babies need food with a long shape to grab onto, and ribs provide this with a built-in handle. She's taken to them like a star!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 racks pork spare ribs
• 1 large onion (about 1/2 lb.)
• 3 ribs celery (about 1/4 lb.)
• 2 large carrots (about 1/2 lb.)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbs. tomato paste
• 1/2 Tbs. anchovy paste (or a few fillets)
• 3 Tbs. flour
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 14.5 oz. can peeled tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 Tbs. dry oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbs. sherry vinegar
• 1 lb. dry pasta (rigatoni or similar)
• Olive oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Dice the onion, celery, and carrots. Smash the garlic and remove the germ.

Cut the ribs into pieces with 3-4 ribs each. Pat dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large, lidded sauté pan or Dutch oven, heat a little oil and brown the ribs on both sides, working in batches. Set aside.

Add more oil as necessary and sauté the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic until softened. Scrape the pan as the vegetables sweat. Add tomato paste and anchovy paste. Stir in and cook about one minute. Add the flour, stir to combine, and cook a few more minutes. Deglaze the pan with wine. Crush tomatoes with hands and add, along with the juice from the can. Add stock, oregano, bay leaves, and vinegar. Stir together and bring to a boil. 

Nestle the ribs into pan, overlapping so that each rib is partially submerged. Cover the pan and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1 hour. Move the ribs around to submerge different parts, cover, and cook 1 more hour. 

Remove the pan from the oven and take the ribs out of the sauce. In a large saucepan, get some salted water boiling and cook the pasta. While pasta is cooking, reduce the sauce on high heat until slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut the ribs into individual ribs. 

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Return the ribs to the dish and serve.