As I write this article, it’s cold, dark and wet outside — perfect weather for curling up in front of the fire with a bowl of comfort food. Enter: pork ragu. It’s the perfect comfort food and though it takes a few steps to make the foundation of your sauce, most of the work is done while all the ingredients simmer in a large pot on the stove. Not only does this ragu make enough for a crowd, but as it cooks, the ragu is going to fill your kitchen with a mouthwatering aroma.

There are many variations of ragu but what they all have in common is how they are cooked: low and slow, meaning low heat, and for a couple hours. This process tenderizes less expensive cuts of meat, breaking them down into a rich sauce.

Today, most people would consider ragu an Italian dish; one of the most well-known is Bolognese. However, ragus’ origins are French. During the Napoleonic wars, invading soldiers introduced French ragout to Italy.

Ragout is a stewed meat dish that was revised over many decades into what we know and recognize today as ragu. Initially, it was a dish only for the affluent because meat was too expensive for most Italians.

Meat stews, especially with pasta, were only eaten on religious holidays and the occasional Sunday.

This updated version is a bit lighter than many traditional ragus, leaving out stock and milk, which saves a few extra steps without any loss of flavor. This pork ragu is delicious over a soft soupy polenta, but you can use wide noodles, such as pappardelle, tagliatelle or a tubular pasta. If you use any pasta, make sure it’s substantial enough to stick to the sauce.

And now I would like to announce that, sadly, this is my last column for the Marin IJ. It’s hard to believe it has been seven years of monthly columns of Claudia’s Kitchen! It has been loads of fun— thank you for reading. Happy cooking!

Claudia Alexander, a resident of Marin County, has been happily cooking for family and friends for more than three decades. She has a weekly food blog, sweetbynurture.com. You can contact her at sweetbynurture@gmail.com