Pick a Pasta, Select a Sauce!
Can’t have one without the other
Looking forward to a snowy weekend in the kitchen? Try this delicious preparation from Lago Trattoria in Newport, Vermont. Chef–owner Frank Richardi slowly braises wild boar in wine, herbs, and house-made tomato sauce tossed with fresh, hand-cut pappardelle pasta. Don’t worry, you can substitute pork shoulder in case you’re out of wild boar.
This deeply flavored, tender meat sauce marries beautifully with the wide pasta noodles.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 8-10 Serving(s)
- 8 pounds wild boar shoulder or large boneless Boston butt pork shoulder, cut into 4-inch square pieces
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 cup sofrito (see below)
- 6–8 cloves garlic, chopped
- ½ cup dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated according to package directions
- 1 bottle Chianti or other dry, fruity red wine
- 4 cups marinara sauce (or homemade chunky tomato sauce if available)
- 1 branch fresh rosemary, or handful of chopped rosemary leaves
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Pappardelle or other wide pasta
- A pinch of fresh basil, sliced just before serving to preserve maximum flavor
Sofrito (follow the “2-1-1 rule”)
- 2 parts onion, minced
- 1 part carrot, minced
- 1 part celery, minced
- Pure olive oil
Instructions
In a braising pan on high, add olive oil. Add meat and brown on all sides. Cook in batches to reduce crowding and to encourage deeper browning. Remove meat from pan and transfer to platter. Over medium heat, sauté sofrito vegetables and garlic until golden and soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Add mushrooms and brown slightly. Add red wine, marinara, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
Reduce heat and braise for 3 to 4 hours, flipping pieces of meat occasionally and keeping mostly submerged in the sauce. Remove pan from stove and let cool. Remove any visible pieces of fat from pork, then shred meat back into the sauce. Cook pappardelle according to package directions until al dente. As the pasta finishes cooking, reheat meat sauce if needed. Toss sauce with pasta and sliced fresh basil.
The sauce tastes even better the next day, or you can freeze any that is left over.
About this recipe
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