Easy Italian Recipes

 MAKES 8 SERVINGS

- 4 large cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves
- 2 teaspoons crushed fennel seeds
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 bone-in pork loin roast, about 5 Ib (2.5 kg)
- 4 tablespoons (2 fl oz/60 ml) olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, halved and siiced
- 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio

In Tuscany, the word arista is used for a pork roast seasoned with rosemary, fennel, and/or other herbs and garlic. According to legend, the pork roast received its name in the fifteenth century, when it was served to a group of visiting Greek bishops who declared it aristos—"the best." But most food scholars dismiss that story, pointing out that the fourteenth-century Italian author Franco Sacchetti referred to pork roast as arista in one of his novels.

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
Using a chef's knife, very finely chop together the garlic, rosemary, and sage. Transfer to a small bowl, add the fennel seeds, season with salt and pepper, and mix well. Make slits 1/2 inch (12 mm) deep all over the pork roast and insert some of the mixture into each slit. Rub the roast with the remaining seasoning, then rub with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place the meat in a roasting pan just large enough to hold it.

Roast the meat for 1 hour. In a bowl, toss the onion slices with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and scatter them around the meat. Continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast away from the bone registers 155°F (68°C), or the meat is pale pink when cut into at the center, about 11/4 hours longer. Transfer to a warmed platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, pour off most of the fat in the roasting pan and piace the pan over medium-low heat. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced.

Carve the roast and arrange on a warmed platter. Spoon the pan sauce over the pork and serve at once.

Buon appetito !