Pappardelle with ragu di cinghiale

James Snoerwang

Ragu al Cinghiale is a classic Italian dish made from Wild Boar. This is a well-known classic, especially in Tuscany. It's rich, savory and perfect for the fall and winter months.

Number of persons: 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 150 minutes

Ingredients

500 g Wild boar poulet
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, cut into small cubes
2 stalks celery, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
500 ml red wine
250 ml game stock
400 g canned tomatoes, pureed
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
400 g pappardelle pasta or another wide type of pasta
Fresh grated (vegetable) Parmesan cheese for garnish

Preparation method:

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or stew pan over medium heat. Add the wild boar pieces and fry until brown on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
Add the chopped onion, garlic, carrots and celery to the same pan. Fry the vegetables for a few minutes until they are soft and starting to brown.
Add the tomato puree and stir well. Let the tomato puree fry for a few minutes to deepen the flavour.
Pour the red wine and game stock into the pan and bring to the boil. Let the wine simmer and reduce by about half.
Add the pureed tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and, if desired, a pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir everything well.
Add the fried Wild Boar poulet back to the pan. Make sure the meat is completely covered with the sauce.
Simmer the Ragu al Cinghiale over low heat, cover the pan and cook for 2 to 2.5 hours, or until the meat is soft and tender and the sauce has thickened. Stir occasionally and add some water if necessary if the sauce becomes too thick.
In the meantime, cook the pappardelle pasta according to the instructions on the package, drain and keep warm.
Remove the rosemary and thyme sprigs from the sauce. Taste and season the sauce with salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve the Ragu al Cinghiale over the cooked pappardelle pasta and sprinkle with fresh grated (vegetable) Parmesan cheese. Enjoy this delicious Italian dish!