Pork fillets cooked in wine and flavoured with oregano, then covered with mozzarella cheese and a dollop of thick passata sauce.
Neapolitan Pork Fillets
4 servings
- Preparation time: 40 minutes
- Marinading time: 1 hour
- Cooking time: 20 minutes
- Ingredients
- 450 g (1 lb) pork fillet/tenderloin
- 3 fresh oregano sprigs
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- salt and freshly milled black pepper
- 150 ml (5 fl oz) red wine (⅔ cup)
- 2 tbsp flour
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 28 g (1 oz) butter (⅛ cup, or ¼ stick)
- 4 tbsp chicken stock
- 300 ml (10 fl oz) passata (1¼ cups)
- 115 g (4 oz) mozzarella cheese, cut into four thick slices
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- ½ red pepper, sliced thinly
- ½ yellow pepper, sliced thinly
- ½ orange pepper, sliced thinly
To serve
- pasta, fettuccini works well
- Method
- Prepare as much as possible before beginning to cook this recipe. There are a number of steps required towards the end of cooking and having everything ready will just make them easier to work through.
- First, the pork needs to marinade for one hour.
- Cut the fillet/tenderloin into four equal pieces. Flatten a little by placing each piece between cling film/plastic wrap and bashing with a rolling pin.
- Place them side by side in a shallow dish.
- Season and add the sprigs of oregano and crushed garlic.
- Then pour over the wine, cover the dish, and marinade.
- Meanwhile prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Pour the passata into a small pan and stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season and put to one side.
- Have a pan ready to cook the pasta.
- Next, put the peppers in a bowl, pour over 2 tablespoon of olive oil and toss to coat. Put to one side.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) gas 6.
- Once the pork has marinaded, spread the flour over a plate.
- Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry. Reserve the marinade.
- Coat both sides of the fillets in the flour.
- Now heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the butter over a moderate heat in a large frying pan/skillet. The butter will begin to foam and, when this almost stops, add the pork. Sear on both sides for 2–3 minutes.
- Transfer the pork to a warm plate.
- Strain the reserved marinade and add to the pan/skillet.
- Let it bubble for 30 seconds.
- Remove the pan/skillet from the heat and stir in the stock and seasoning.
- Then bring the sauce to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a low setting and return the pork to the pan/skillet, cover the pan, and cook them for a further 10 minutes.
- Now bring the passata mixture to the boil over a moderate heat and let it bubble, uncovered, to reduce to a thick sauce, about 5 minutes.
- Bring a kettle of water to the boil for the pasta and then cook the pasta according to the directions on the packet.
- Heat a large pan in which to sauté the peppers. Tip them into the pan and sauté, turning frequently, until soft.
- Once the pork is cooked through, transfer the fillets to an ovenproof dish which will snuggly hold them in a single layer.
- Add 1 tablespoon water to the frying pan/skillet, stir, and then reduce the liquid to 3–4 tablespoons. This will only take a couple of minutes.
- Spoon over the pork.
- Cover each fillet with a slice of mozzarella and then add a large spoonful of the passata sauce in the middle of the slice. (Keep any remaining sauce warm.)
- Sprinkle over the oregano.
- Pop in the oven until the cheese just starts to melt, about 4–5 minutes.
- To serve, spoon any remaining passata on four serving plates and then top with the pasta.
- Arrange the pork on the pasta and spoon over any remaining sauce from the ovenproof dish.
- Now add the peppers.
Updated: July 14, 2020