Ragu di Cinghiale Recipe

Prep the meat

Pat the cubed wild boar dry with paper towels. Season lightly with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. If meat is very lean, toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil to help browning.

Brown in batches

Heat 2 tbs olive oil and the butter in a wide, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches so the pan doesn't steam, add portions of the boar cubes and brown on all sides (3–4 minutes per side) until deeply caramelized. Transfer browned meat to a plate and repeat, adding more oil as needed.

Build the soffritto

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tbs olive oil to the pot if dry. Add diced carrot, onion and celery. Sweat gently, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 8–10 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Deglaze and concentrate

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2–3 minutes to remove raw flavor. Pour in the red wine, scraping up browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Increase heat to bring to a simmer and reduce wine by about half, 8–10 minutes.

Simmer low and slow

Return the browned boar and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add crushed tomatoes, beef or game stock, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme and juniper berries (if using). Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low so the sauce barely bubbles. Partially cover and simmer for 3–4 hours, stirring every 20–30 minutes and breaking larger pieces apart with the back of a spoon. If the sauce reduces too quickly, add small amounts of stock or water to keep it saucy. Taste every hour and adjust salt/pepper gradually; total added salt approx. 1 tsp more if needed.

Finish and enrich

When meat is tender and falling apart, remove rosemary sprig, thyme stems and bay leaves. Stir in the milk to soften acidity and meld flavors; simmer 5–10 minutes more. If desired, shred larger pieces of boar with forks to create a ragù texture. Keep warm while you cook the pasta.

Make the dough

Combine semolina and all-purpose/00 flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well and pour in warm water and 1 tbs olive oil. Mix with a fork until a shaggy dough forms, then turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead 8–10 minutes until smooth, elastic and slightly firm. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rest 20–30 minutes at room temperature.

Shape pinci

Divide dough into 6–8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a thick rope about 1–1.5 cm (3/8–5/8 in) in diameter. Using your thumb or knuckle, press down and drag along the rope to create flattened, oval-ish strips about 6–8 cm long (this creates the characteristic pinched, slightly irregular shape). Dust lightly with semolina to prevent sticking. Let rest 10 minutes before cooking.

Cook the pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pinci in batches, stirring gently to prevent sticking. Fresh semolina pinci will cook quickly, about 3–5 minutes depending on thickness; test one for al dente. Reserve 1 cup (240 ml) of the pasta cooking water before draining.

Marry pasta and ragù

Add warmed ragù to a wide sauté pan set over low heat. Add the drained pinci and toss gently to coat, adding pasta cooking water 1–2 tbs at a time if needed to loosen and create a silky texture. Cook together 1–2 minutes so flavors meld.

Plate and garnish

Serve pinci topped with generous spoonfuls of wild boar ragù. Finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a sprinkling of grated pecorino or Parmigiano and chopped parsley. Grind additional black pepper to taste.