Baked Ziti With Spicy Pork And Sausage Ragu

Heat olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and saute until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to bowl.

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Add half of pork to drippings in pot and saute until brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with pancetta. Repeat with remaining pork.

Add sausage to same pot. Saute until no longer pink, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add onions, carrots, celery, thyme, garlic, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper.

Reduce heat to medium-low and saute until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add wine and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits.

Add pancetta and pork with any accumulated juices and boil for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice. Cover and cook until pork is very tender, adjusting heat as needed to maintain gentle simmer and stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.

Uncover pot, tilt to 1 side and spoon off fat from surface of ragu. Gently press pork pieces with back of fork to break up meat coarsely. Season ragu to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 15- x 10- x 2-inch glass baking dish or other 4-quart baking dish.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta and mix into ragu. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer to prepared dish. Sprinkle both cheeses over. Bake until heated through and golden, about 20 minutes.

* Pancetta (Italian bacon cured in salt) is available at Italian markets and in the refrigerated deli case of many supermarkets.