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Pappardelle al Cinghiale

Serves 4 to 6 Entree pasta, Pasta & Rice

Pappardelle al Cinghiale

Pappardelle al Cinghiale is a dish rooted deeply in the rolling hills of Tuscany, where the marriage of wild boar and robust red wine is as natural as the gentle sweep of vineyards across the landscape. At home, this dish emerges from the kitchen with a sense of relaxed precision — olive oil flows generously, and salt is seasoned by intuition, not measure. This is not restaurant fare; it's a family staple, shared without ceremony.

The taste is bold, with the tender wild boar soaking up the rich acidity of ripe tomatoes and the earthy depth of red wine. The wide ribbons of pappardelle cradle the sauce, each bite delivering a satisfying interplay of flavors. The dish demands nothing more than a simple plate, where the focus stays firmly on the robust essence of Tuscany.

Ingredients

  • 400 gpappardelle
  • 700 gwild boar shoulder — cubed
  • 400 gripe tomatoes — crushed
  • 1onion — finely chopped
  • 2 stalkscelery — diced
  • 120 mlred wine
  • 4 tbspextra virgin olive oil
  • to tastefine sea salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Begin by preparing the wild boar shoulder. Cut the 700 g of meat into bite-sized cubes, ensuring uniformity for even cooking. Season the meat generously with fine sea salt and black pepper, allowing the flavors to penetrate while you prepare other ingredients.
  2. Dice 1 onion and 2 stalks of celery finely. In a wide, heavy-bottomed pan, heat 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the diced onion and celery, stirring occasionally until the onion becomes translucent and the celery softens, releasing their aromatic scents.
  3. Add the seasoned wild boar cubes to the pan, searing them on all sides until they develop a rich, golden-brown crust. This caramelization is crucial for depth of flavor in the sauce. Pour in 120 ml of red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and let it reduce by half, intensifying the sauce.
  4. While the wine reduces, chop 400 g of ripe tomatoes into small pieces. Add them to the pan once the wine has reduced, stirring to combine. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, allowing the sauce to thicken and the boar to become tender. This process can take some time, so check the meat with a fork; it should be tender and easily pierced.
  5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously. Add 400 g of pappardelle and cook until al dente, following the package instructions. Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
  6. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, add it to the pan with the wild boar sauce. Toss the pappardelle gently with the sauce off the heat, using a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if necessary, ensuring each strand is well-coated.
  7. Finish the dish by adjusting the seasoning with additional sea salt and black pepper if needed. Serve the Pappardelle al Cinghiale immediately, embracing the rustic simplicity of Tuscan home cooking.
Cover of Authentic Italian Cuisine
From the cookbook

Authentic Italian Cuisine

This recipe is from Authentic Italian Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the Italian volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.

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