A deep and rustic Tuscan classic: wide egg pappardelle coated in a wild boar ragù slow-simmered in red wine, tomato, juniper, and herbs. The sauce is dark, meltingly tender, slightly gamey, and clings perfectly to the pasta.
Ingredients
- 700 g boneless wild boar shoulder
- 400 g egg pappardelle
- 750 ml dry Italian red wine
- 2 pieces yellow onion
- 2 pieces carrot
- 2 pieces celery stalk
- 2 cloves garlic
- 80 g diced pancetta
- 400 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 250 ml veal stock
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 pieces juniper berries
- 2 leaves bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 4 leaves fresh sage
- to taste fine salt
- to taste black peppercorns
- 40 g grated pecorino romano
Method
- The day before, cut the wild boar into even pieces, place it in a bowl with red wine, a portion of the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaf, juniper, rosemary, and pepper; cover and let marinate in the refrigerator until the meat is deeply flavored.
- Drain the meat, pat it completely dry, and strain the marinade; reserve the flavored wine and discard the marinade vegetables if they are too waterlogged or bitter.
- In a Dutch oven, sauté the pancetta with the olive oil until it renders its fat and smells roasted, then add the finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery; cook gently until the soffritto is tender and golden.
- Add the wild boar and sear over higher heat until the pieces brown on several sides and the bottom of the Dutch oven catches slightly without burning.
- Stir in the tomato paste, mix until it darkens and smells of cooked tomato, then pour in the strained marinade wine, scraping the bottom of the Dutch oven well.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, veal stock, remaining bay leaf, sage, and a little salt; partially cover and simmer very gently until the meat easily pulls apart with a fork and the sauce becomes thick and glossy.
- Coarsely shred some of the wild boar into the sauce, keeping a few tender chunks whole, then adjust the salt and pepper; the texture should coat the back of a spoon, neither dry nor liquid.
- Cook the pappardelle in a large pot of salted water until pliable but still al dente; reserve some of the cooking water before draining.
- Toss the pappardelle with the ragù in a large skillet or the Dutch oven, loosen with a little cooking water if necessary, then serve piping hot with grated pecorino at the table.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 745.9 kcal
- Protein
- 44.07 g
- Carbohydrate
- 15.61 g
- Fat
- 41.68 g
- Fibre
- 3.38 g
- Calcium
- 57.78 mg
- Iron
- 1.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 47.72 mg
