Pappardelle with rabbit & chestnut ragu

pastarabbit pastarabbit stewspaghettiwinter


N/A
4


Ingredients

Method

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, wide pan or flameproof casserole dish with a lid. Season the rabbit and toss in the flour. Add to the hot oil and brown on all sides – you may have to do this in batches. When it is a deep golden brown all over, transfer to a plate. Add the remaining oil and the lardons to the pan and cook for 10 mins until crisp and golden. Add the onion, carrot and celery, and stir for 10 mins, scraping up any crispy bits from the bottom, until the veg has softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more.

Next, stir in the cinnamon, juniper, bay leaves and rosemary. After 1 min, pour in the wine and crumble in the stock cube. Simmer for 5 mins, then add the tomatoes and return the rabbit to the pan. Nestle the rabbit into the sauce, cover with a lid and simmer gently for 2 hrs, stirring once or twice.

Remove the rabbit, give the sauce a good stir, then cover again. Continue simmering the sauce while you shred the meat from the bones using 2 forks. Discard the bones and add the meat back to the pan, along with half the chestnuts. Cook, uncovered, for another 30 mins until reduced to a thick, rich sauce. Add the remaining chestnuts. Can now be cooled and chilled overnight, or frozen for up to 2 months.

Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Stir the milk, orange zest and parsley into the sauce and reheat, if chilled. When the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce and cook together for 1 min more. Serve with Parmesan, if you like.