Pappardelle al cinghiale is a Tuscan first course of wide ribbons of fresh egg pasta dressed with a wild boar ragù: the meat is marinated overnight in red wine with vegetables and spices, then slow-cooked with soffritto, wine and tomato until tender, with a thick, dark sauce.
In this article you’ll find the pappardelle with wild boar ragù recipe for 4 people, with quantities for the marinade and the sauce, the cut of meat to choose, cooking times, the right way to toss the pasta, variations and how to store the ragù.
Recipe card
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Preparation | 40 minutes |
| Cooking | 3 hours 10 minutes (ragù about 3 hours, pasta 3-4 minutes) |
| Resting | 12 hours (marinating in the fridge) |
| Total time | 15 hours 50 minutes |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Servings | 4 people |
| Category | First course |
| Cuisine | Tuscan |
| Cooking method | Slow braising and boiling |
Ingredients for 4 people
For the marinade
- 800 g boneless wild boar (shoulder or leg)
- 750 ml full-bodied Tuscan red wine
- 1 carrot, 1 onion and 1 celery stalk, roughly cut
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 bay leaves, 4 juniper berries, 2 cloves
For the ragù and pasta
- 1 onion, 1 carrot and 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 sprig rosemary and 1 bay leaf
- 150 ml red wine
- 30 g tomato paste
- 300 g tomato passata
- 300-500 ml meat stock or hot water
- Fine salt and black pepper, to taste
- 400 g fresh egg pappardelle
- Grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Tuscan pecorino, to serve
The wild boar. Shoulder and leg are the best cuts for long cooking. Wild boar is lean and strongly flavoured: marinating it in wine tenderises it and softens its gamey notes. If you buy farmed or already aged meat, the marinade can be shorter.
The pappardelle. They are egg pasta ribbons 2-3 cm wide: their broad, porous surface holds a chunky meat sauce well. These quantities make more ragù than you need for 400 g of pasta; the leftovers keep well.
How to make pappardelle with wild boar ragù
- Marinate the meat. Cut the boar into 2-3 cm cubes, trimming away sinew and fat. Put it in a glass or ceramic bowl with the vegetables, garlic, bay, juniper and cloves, cover with the wine and leave in the fridge for about 12 hours, and no longer than 24.
- Drain and dry. Drain the meat, discard the wine, vegetables and spices and pat it dry with kitchen paper. Chop it roughly with a knife, or leave it in small cubes if you prefer a chunkier ragù.
- Make the soffritto. In a heavy-based pan, ideally terracotta, heat the oil with the rosemary and bay, add the chopped onion, carrot and celery and cook gently for 10-15 minutes, until soft.
- Brown the boar. Raise the heat, add the meat and brown it for 10 minutes, stirring, until its liquid has evaporated and it is evenly coloured.
- Add wine and tomato. Pour in the red wine and let it evaporate. Add the tomato paste dissolved in a ladle of stock, then the passata. Season with salt and pepper.
- Slow-cook. Cover and cook over the lowest heat for about 2½-3 hours, adding hot stock whenever the sauce gets too dry. The ragù is ready when the meat falls apart between your fingers and the sauce is thick but still loose. Remove the rosemary and bay.
- Cook the pappardelle. Boil them in plenty of salted water for 3-4 minutes if fresh, keeping them al dente.
- Toss and serve. Drain the pappardelle straight into the pan with some of the hot ragù and a ladle of cooking water, toss gently for 1 minute and serve with more ragù on top and grated cheese.
History and tradition of pappardelle al cinghiale
Pappardelle are an egg pasta shape typical of Tuscany and central Italy, wider than tagliatelle: there is no official size, and they are usually 2 to 4 cm wide. The name is most likely linked to the Tuscan verb “pappare”, to eat with gusto.
Wild boar has always lived in the woods and hills of Tuscany and is one of the stars of the region’s game cooking, particularly in the Maremma. Wild boar ragù is today, together with hare ragù, the most popular sauce for pappardelle; recipes vary from family to family in the marinade spices and the amount of tomato.
Practical tips
- Dry the meat well after marinating. If it is still wet with wine, it boils in the pan instead of browning and the ragù loses flavour.
- Keep the heat really low. Wild boar is lean: lively cooking toughens it. Use a heat diffuser if needed.
- Keep the ragù slightly loose. Egg pasta absorbs a lot of liquid: an over-reduced sauce leaves the pappardelle dry on the plate.
- Make it the day before. After a night in the fridge the ragù tastes better and is easy to degrease by lifting off the solidified fat.
Variations and storage
Variations
There is a “white” version without tomato, deglazed only with wine and stock. Some recipes use peeled tomatoes instead of passata, others add black peppercorns or orange zest to the marinade. The same ragù also works with pici or polenta. Many people prefer Tuscan pecorino to Parmigiano.
Storage
Wild boar ragù keeps in the fridge in a sealed container for 3 days and can be frozen in portions for 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge and reheat it gently with a splash of stock. Dressed pappardelle keep in the fridge for one day and can be reheated in a pan with a little water.
Frequently asked questions about pappardelle al cinghiale
Is the marinade essential?
It is the traditional choice, especially with wild-caught boar, because it softens the fibres and tones down the strong flavour. With farmed meat you can cut it to a few hours, but the result is less aromatic.
Which wine should I use?
A full-bodied Sangiovese-based Tuscan red is the most natural match, both for the marinade and for deglazing. You don’t need an expensive bottle, but avoid faulty wine: its flavour concentrates during cooking.
Can I make the ragù in a pressure cooker?
Yes: after browning and adding the tomato, about 50-60 minutes at pressure is enough. Then reduce the sauce for a few minutes with the lid off.
Can I use dried pappardelle?
Yes, dried egg pappardelle work well: allow 320-350 g for 4 people and follow the cooking time on the packet.
More Tuscan meat and pasta recipes
If you enjoy the flavours of Tuscan autumn and winter cooking, try peposo, beef slow-cooked in red wine with black pepper. For another hand-made pasta shape there are pici, which also pair well with wild boar ragù. To learn fresh pasta hands-on, the cooking classes at Orto San Frediano in Florence are a good place to start.
