Pappardelle with Rabbit Sauce
Region: Italy
Category: Pasta with Game
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy but long cooking time

This simple preparation is a way to utilizes all the rabbit bones you've saved from making the Grilled Rabbit and Sausage Skewers, Molise Style and create an excellent first pasta course.  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.

[photo: Clifford A. Wright]

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, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, salt abundantly then cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is 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.

Variation: 

Note: 

Posted: 12/19/2006