Here are your Weekend Plans: Tagliatelle with Boar Ragu

If you're in need of weekend plans, try this recipe on for size. Head over to your local farmer's market or specialty store and pick up a nice cut of boar shoulder. Then pull together this simply yet tasty ragu, and serve it up over fresh tagliatelle or dried fettuccine. A little prep and a lazy afternoon of simmering is all you need. Your house will smell great, and your tummy with thank you.

Boar Ragu - Making the Dish
What You'll Need
1 carrot, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced into slivers
2 tsp, anchovy paste
1 lb boar shoulder, cut into 2 inch cubes
1 28 oz can, plum tomatoes
1/4 cup, red wine (optional)
1/4 cup, basil, sliced
1/2 lb tagliatelle, fettuccine, or other long broad noodle
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp, olive oil

Get started by dicing up all of your vegetables into a nice small dice. In a large saucepan, heat up the olive oil and then start simmering the veggies with a touch of salt. Add in the anchovy paste and stir to combine. While the veggies are simmering, pat the boar shoulder cubes with salt and pepper.

Move the veggies to the side of the pan once they have cooked down and softened (about 10 minutes) and then add the boar shoulder to the pan. Sear the boar on all sides, and when all the sides have browned, remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the tomatoes to the pan with the veggies and stir to incorporate. Add in the red wine if using, stir, and season with pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring vigorously to break down the tomatoes. Let simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes until the tomatoes have softened nicely.

Add the browned boar to the tomato sauce, and stir to incorporate. Bring the sauce to a low boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan, and let the ragu cook for 1 - 2 hours, until the boar falls apart with the touch of a fork. During this time, stir and check occasionally to make sure the bottom of the pan is not burning. The flavors will all mingle together, and your house will smell great.

Remove the boar from the ragu and let the ragu continue to cook uncovered. Shred up the boar with a fork - it should be tender enough that this should not be too hard. Add your basil to the sauce and let it continue to cook down for about 15 minutes.

Add the boar back to the ragu and stir to incorporate. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and add some salt. Cook the pasta until it is nicely al dente, reserve some cooking water for later use if necessary, and drain the pasta.

Add the pasta to the boar ragu in the sauce pan and gently toss everything over medium heat. Add pasta water if necessary to loosen up the sauce.

Serve garnished with pecorino, and try not to eat too quickly!











The Result
The boar has a hearty, meaty flavor that simply can't be replicated. You can try this with flank steak or lamb, but there's an added depth of flavor with boar that's really, really good!

This is a very simple recipe that doesn't take much effort, just a bit of cooking time. The longer you cook it, the better it will taste - and if you have leftovers, don't despair, they get even better the next day!

What are your weekend plans? Let us know in the comments!

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