The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Pork & Fennel Ragu with Brown Rice Penne & Orange Olive Salad
This Italian-style ragu stars free-range pork mince, sizzled with fragrant fennel seeds and simmered in a rich tomato suace. Brown rice penne soak up all that flavour. A vibrant orange salad on the side, brings in extra freshness and colour. Delish!
High protein
1/3 daily fibre
4 of 5 a day
Serving size
Ingredients
- 30g Pitted Kalamata Olives (Kalamata Olives, Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt, Lactic Acid (E270))
- 20g rocket
- 120g brown rice penne pasta (Soya) (Brown rice flour 100%)
- 1 orange
- 1 handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 10g chicken stock powder (Chicory Extract, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavouring, Salt, Onion Powder, Chicken Stock Powder, Rapeseed Oil.)
- 200g passata (tomatoes, salt, citric acid)
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp garlic, rosemary and thyme paste (Garlic, Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Rosemary, Thyme)
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 300g free-range pork mince
Nutritional Information
Calories: 737
Protein: 39g
Carbs: 68g
Fat: 33g
Ingredients
- 30g Pitted Kalamata Olives (use half) (Kalamata Olives, Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt, Lactic Acid (E270))
- 20g rocket (use half)
- 10g chicken stock powder (use half) (Chicory Extract, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavouring, Salt, Onion Powder, Chicken Stock Powder, Rapeseed Oil.)
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (use half)
- 1 orange (use half)
- 120g brown rice penne pasta (use half) (Soya) (Brown rice flour 100%)
- 2 tsp garlic, rosemary and thyme paste (use half) (Garlic, Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Rosemary, Thyme)
- 1 handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley (use half)
- 200g passata (use half) (tomatoes, salt, citric acid)
- 0.5 tsp chilli flakes (use half)
- 1 carrot (use half)
- 1 onion (use half)
- 150g free-range pork mince
Nutritional Information
Calories: 721
Protein: 37g
Carbs: 68g
Fat: 32g
Pork & Fennel Ragu with Brown Rice Penne & Orange Olive Salad
This Italian-style ragu stars free-range pork mince, sizzled with fragrant fennel seeds and simmered in a rich tomato suace. Brown rice penne soak up all that flavour. A vibrant orange salad on the side, brings in extra freshness and colour. Delish!
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Cooking Instructions
Before you start
- Pull out a medium saucepan, a medium frying pan, a slow cooker (if using), a medium bowl, a sieve, a grater & a measuring jug
Get started
- Heat the medium frying pan with 1/2 tsp oil on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the pork and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4 mins, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until golden brown
- Meanwhile, finely dice the onion. Grate the carrot (peel optional). Halve the olives
- Add the onion and carrot to the pork and cook for 3-4 mins, until softening
Time to slow cook
- Stir in the garlic herb paste, fennel seeds, half the chilli (for those who'd like the heat) and half the olives and cook for a further minute
- Add the passata, stock powder and 150ml water (75ml for 1 person). Bring to a boil, then transfer to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-5 hours
- If using the hob, pop a lid on the pan and simmer the ragu for 18-20 mins
Cook the pasta
- When the ragu has 10 mins remaining, bring the medium saucepan filled with salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the penne and simmer for 7-8 mins, until cooked, then drain
- Add the cooked pasta to the pork ragu and toss to coat. Season to taste
Final bits
- Reserve 1 orange wedge, then peel and cut the remaining orange into 2cm chunks. Finely chop the parsley
- In the medium bowl, combine the orange chunks and remaining olives with 1/2 tsp oil and a squeeze of orange juice. Add the rocket and toss to combine
Plate up
- Share the penne and ragu between bowls. Sprinkle the parsley and any remaining chilli flakes (for those who'd like the heat) over the pasta. Serve the salad alongside
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