4 Pork Chops, thick cut (I like to buy a pork loin and cut my own to about 1″ thick)

Herb Rub

1 tsp Onion powder

1 tsp Garlic powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp Oregano

1/2 tsp Black pepper

Sofrito Sauce

2 Carrots, fine diced

1 Bell pepper , fine diced

1 Onion (sweet or red), fine diced

2-3 Celery stalks, fine diced

3 Garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp calabrian chilis

1 jar Marinara sauce

Pasta (spaghetti, fettuccine, etc)

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

Fresh thyme and oregano, fine chopped (optional)

Parmesan wedge

This is absolutely delicious!  Plenty of flavor, a little heat.  A rustic tasty treat. 

Pull the pork out of the fridge and let it sit for about 30 minutes to start warm up.

Pat the pork chops dry and coat them with the spice rub on both sides. 

Chop your Sofrito ingredients.  You want small little bits of each veggie, all the same size.

In a ripping hot pan, add enough olive oil to generously coat the pan.  As soon as it starts to smoke, carefully add the pork chops.

Don’t touch the meat.  Let it heavily sear, for 3 minutes on each side (adjust time if your chops are thinner than 1″). 

Remove the pork chops to a covered bowl or plate.

Bring the heat down to medium/ low.  Add the carrots, onion, bell pepper and celery. 

Cook these for approximately 15 minutes, or until the veggies have softened and mostly stopped giving off liquid.  As they cook, scrape up all brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the garlic and calabrian chilis to the pan, mix in and cook for about 1 min. 

If there are still some brown bits stick to the pan, delays with just a little bit of red wine, chicken broth or even water.

Add the marinara sauce to the pan, then add back the pork chops and juices.  Let this simmer on low.  Stir this occasionally while it simmers.  The sauce will take on darker color as it simmers.

Start boiling your heavily salted water for pasta.  Add pasta when boiling and cook according to the type of pasta.  Continue simmering and stirring sauce until the pasta is ready.

Top the sauce with the fresh herbs, if you have them. 

Plate by forming a nest of pasta, topped with sauce, pork chop on the side, and everything given a little bit of parmesan.