Pappardelle With Wild Rabbit Ragu

As the days are getting shorter and colder, there is no denying that autumn has truly arrived. I can't think of a better dish to welcome the cooler months ahead than a tasty slow cooked ragu with pappardelle. This is roughly based on Antonio Carluccio's veal ragu which I saw on television a while back. Like all good braised dishes this will taste even better the next day. Speaking of tasting better the next day I was eating the leftover while watching Italian food Safari , how appropriate! 

P.S try this with veal, duck or pork neck if you are not comfortable dealing with a bunny! Together with goats and camels the adorable rabbits are creating havoc to the fragile ecosystem in Australia, so it is our duty to help eradicate them by eating them one by one :)

recipe for ragu serves 6

you'll need;

1 wild rabbit, cleaned and cut into 3 pieces

2 carrots, peeled and diced

4 celery stalks, diced

1 large onion, chopped

200 g of pancetta, diced (optional)

8 garlic cloves

rosemary, chopped

sage, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 bottle (750ml) passata

1 cup of red wine

chicken stock

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

chopped parsley

grated parmesan 

pappardelle or any wide pasta, cooked according to the packaging

Prepare the ingredients.

Fry pancetta with some oilve oil if using til lightly brown then add the vegetables and saute til vegetables are soften. Add rabbit pieces and fry in the mixture for a few minutes.

Pour passata and red wine into the pot together with the herbs, let everything simmer for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, the meat should be falling off the bones.

Flake the meat off the bones using 2 forks.

Return the rabbit meat into the pot and mix well, add a little stock if the mixture is too dry, check for seasonings.

Ladle some ragu over the pappardelle, top with some chopped parsley and drizzle with some extra olive oil. Don't forget the parmesan.