Reddit mentions of The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual

I always keep pork hocks in the freezer for stuff like this.

Whatever recipe you use, first brown the pork hock and then add the rest of your ingredients. Remove the hock when the sauce is finished. It gives the sauce a great deal of flavor.

Also pick up a copy of the Frankies Sputino Kitchen Companion and Cooking Manual. It's affordable and has some awesome recipes for good old fashioned Italian cooking. One of my favorites is the Orecchiette with Pistachio/mint pesto. It is really quick and easy to make and soooo delicious.