Sicilian Sciabbó: Pork Ragù with Hints of Chocolate

Name: Sicilian Sciabbó: Pork Ragù with Hints of Chocolate
Cook time: 1 1/2 hour
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large yellow onion; minced 1/2 pound lean pork loin; finely diced 1/2 cup dessert wine; such as vin santo or Marsala 1 (28 oz) can tomato puree or strained tomatoes 1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick 2 ounces dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao); chopped Salt and black pepper; to taste 1 pound pappardelle or any thick ribbon pasta; such as lasagne ricce or lasagnotte

Primo

Francine Segan | Fri, 01/05/2024 - 02:45

Photo: Antonio Gravante via Shutterstock

Difficulty Level

Low

Cooking Time

1 1/2 hour

Cost

Medium

This meat sauce specialty of the Sicilian province of Enna has an unusual ingredient: chocolate! Recipes for savory dishes with chocolate were published in Italy as far back as 1680 and include lasagna in anchovy-almond-chocolate sauce; pappardelle in rabbit-chocolate sauce; fried liver accented with dark chocolate; and polenta topped with chocolate breadcrumbs, almonds and cinnamon. It was such common practice to season foods with chocolate that Francesco Arisi, in his 1736 poem