Pasta With Rabbit Sauce Recipe
Make Pasta With Rabbit Sauce Recipe in just 1h 50m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Rabbit ragù
Pasta & finishing
Method
Rabbit ragù
- 1
- 2
Brown the rabbit
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and the butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. In batches to avoid overcrowding, add rabbit pieces and brown on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per batch. Transfer browned pieces to a plate and set aside.
- 3
Sweat the vegetables
Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pot. Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to color, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- 4
Deglaze and build flavor
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to remove rawness. Pour in the white wine to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by about half, 2–3 minutes.
- 5
Simmer the ragù
Return the rabbit pieces and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the crushed tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, chopped rosemary, thyme, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer slowly for 45–60 minutes, until rabbit is very tender and sauce has reduced and thickened. Stir occasionally and add more stock if sauce reduces too much.
- 6
Finish the sauce
When rabbit is tender, remove bay leaves. If you prefer a chunkier ragù, leave as-is. For a smoother sauce, transfer half the sauce (or all, if you like) and pulse briefly in a food processor or use an immersion blender to break up some meat and vegetables. Stir in the optional heavy cream for a silkier texture and adjust seasoning with remaining salt and pepper to taste.
Pasta & finishing
- 7
Cook pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente (usually 7–9 minutes for fresh pappardelle, 9–11 for dried). Reserve about 500 ml (2 cups) of pasta cooking water before draining.
- 8
- 9
Finish and serve
Stir in about two-thirds of the grated Parmesan and the chopped parsley. If using, add lemon zest for brightness. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve immediately, sprinkling remaining Parmesan and a little parsley on top.