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Spicy Pork Ragu

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb pasta, pref. gnocchi, mezzi rigatoni, or cavatelli
• 1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1 med. onion, diced
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced & smashed
• 1 lb of hot/mild pork sausage, or ground pork
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• parmigiano
• olive oil
• bay leaf
• pinch of oregano and rosemary, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste
• wine (optional, pref. red but white or rose is OK)

Procedure:

1. Brown sausage and cook in olive oil, med-high, breaking into bits with a wooden spoon
2. When pork is almost crisp, add onion and celery with a pinch of salt
3. When onion and celery have softened, add garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, and rosemary
4. After garlic is aromatic but not browned, deglaze with a splash of wine (optional) and pour in crushed tomatoes and bay leaf; bring to a low boil, then down to a simmer for at least 20 minutes
5. Cook pasta until just shy of al dente; remove bay leaf, turn the sauce to med-high and add the pasta, along with a couple spoonfuls of pasta water
6. Remove from heat, stir in a healthy handful of parmigiano until incorporated; add more pasta water if the sauce is too tight, season to taste and serve