Region: Italy
Category: Pasta with Game
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy but long cooking time
This preparation utilizes all the rabbit bones you've saved from making the Grilled Rabbit and Sausage Skewers, Molise Style. This is a very nice sauce best tossed with fresh pappardelle, a pasta about 1/2 inch in width. In its place use tagliatelle or fettuccine.
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 6:45 in all
1 pound rabbit bones
6 cups cold water
1 small onion, quartered, and separated
1 small carrot, sliced
1/2 celery stalk, sliced
5 black peppercorns
Bouquet garni, consisting of 6 sprigs fresh parsley and 3 sprigs fresh oregano tied in cheesecloth
3 tablespoons extra -virgin olive oil
1/4 cup very finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons white wine
1 garlic clove, crushed
Salt
3/4 pound fresh pappardelle, tagliatelle, or fettuccine
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1. Put the rabbit bones, cold water, onion, carrot, celery, peppercorns, and bouquet garni in a pot and bring to a 4-quart pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim the surface of foam. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer for 6 hours. Strain, discarding all the bones and vegetables. There is no need to de-fat the stock because rabbit is so lean there is no significant fat. Set aside until needed.
2. In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, then cook the chopped onion until golden, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Pour in the wine and let it almost evaporate, about 1 minute. Pour in the reserved rabbit stock and the garlic and cook until the liquid reduces to about 3/4 cup, 30 to 35 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, for every pound of pasta, bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil over high heat, salt abundantly with up to 1/2 cup of salt, then add the pasta in handfuls. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick together, until al dente. Drain without rinsing.
Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl and toss well with the rabbit sauce and sprinkle on the parmigiano, tossing well. Serve hot.
Posted: 12/19/2006
