Pappardelle with Hare Sauce (Pappardelle alla Lepre)
Pappardelle alla lepre Say it: pah-par-DELL-eh ahl-lah LEH-preh
Pappardelle alla lepre is a Tuscan pasta dish of wide egg ribbons served with a slow-cooked hare ragù. It belongs to the autumn and winter hunting table, when hare is braised with red wine, aromatics, juniper and a little tomato until the meat collapses into a dark, savory sauce. The pasta is sturdy enough to carry the rich, gamey flavor, and grated Parmigiano adds a nutty finish. It is a celebratory country dish, often made for Sunday lunches and festive gatherings.
Pappardelle with Hare Sauce (Pappardelle alla Lepre)
Pappardelle alla lepre
Pronounced pah-par-DELL-eh ahl-lah LEH-preh
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 2 hr 30 min
- Total
- 3 hr
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg, celery. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Hare and marinade
Sauce
To finish
Method
Put the hare in a nonreactive bowl with the red wine, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaves, juniper berries and rosemary. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours, turning the pieces once or twice.
Lift the hare out and pat it very dry with paper towels. Strain the marinade into a bowl and reserve the liquid; pick out and chop the onion, carrot, celery and garlic, discarding the bay leaves, rosemary sprig and juniper berries.
In a heavy casserole, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat renders and the edges crisp, about 5 to 6 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon and leave the fat in the pot.
Raise the heat to medium-high. Brown the hare pieces in batches until deep golden on all sides, about 6 to 8 minutes per batch, then transfer them to a plate.
Lower the heat, add the chopped marinade vegetables and cook until soft and golden, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then return the hare and pancetta to the pot.
Add the reserved marinade and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to reduce the alcohol. Add the stock, fine sea salt and black pepper, cover, and simmer gently for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the meat is fork-tender and pulls easily from the bone; add a splash more stock if the pot looks dry.
Remove the hare, cool slightly, then shred the meat, discarding bones and tough bits. If the sauce is thin, boil it uncovered until glossy and it coats the back of a spoon, 10 to 15 minutes; return the shredded meat to the sauce and taste for salt.
Cook the pappardelle in a large pot of boiling water seasoned with the coarse salt until al dente, with a slight bite at the center. Reserve 1 cup (240 ml) pasta water, then drain.
Toss the pappardelle with the hare sauce over low heat, adding splashes of pasta water until the pasta is glossy and well coated. Serve with the Parmigiano-Reggiano passed at the table.
Regional variants
Farm-raised rabbit can replace hare for a milder, more widely available sauce; shorten the simmer to about 1 hour, until tender.
Cook's notes
- Marinate the hare for at least 12 hours; the wine and juniper soften its gamey edge and build the sauce's aroma.
- Pat the hare very dry before browning so it colors deeply rather than steams.
- Cook pappardelle just shy of al dente if tossing it in the sauce, so it finishes absorbing flavor without going soft.
Serve with
A glass of Chianti or another Tuscan red, and a simple green salad afterward.
Make ahead and storage
The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 3 months; reheat gently with a splash of stock before tossing with hot pappardelle.
