Not-a-Boar Meat Sauce and Pasta
February 2010
I love cinghiale sauce—a thick, savory meat sauce made with wild boar and a hint of clove. Wild boar is not readily available in my upstate New York supermarket, so here's an unusual fake-out. Serve the pasta with braised kale or a spinach salad. The sauce freezes well, so make a double batch.
Makes: 6 servings
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta or broken curly-edge lasagna noodles
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 3/4pound ground pork
- 3/4pound ground beef
- 1 small carrot, finely chopped or grated
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 sprigs thyme, stems discarded and leaves finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 pinches ground cloves or allspice
- 1/4cup tomato paste
- 1/2cup dry white wine (eyeball it)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2cup whole milk
- 1 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.
- While the pasta is working, in a dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the pork and beef and cook, stirring, until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the carrot, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, cocoa and cloves; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute, then stir in the wine. Stir in the chicken stock and milk, lower the heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.
- Stir the pasta into the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes longer. Stir in the cheese to coat. Serve the pasta in shallow bowls.
Tip
PAIR WITH:
- Pair with: Fontanafredda Barbera dAlba Briccotondo 2008 (Italy)