Pappardelle with Wild Boar Sausage Meat And Chestnut Ragu

Sausage meat and chestnuts go great together. Chestnuts work anyway with all sorts of meat including rabbit and venison but when turned into a ragu, it’s one way of creating a delicious sauce for pasta. The pappardelle works with this sauce but tagliatelle and linguine are also worth exploring.

Serves: 4; Preparation time: 10 minutes; Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 200g prepared chestnuts
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 pound/454g pack wild boar sausages, squeezed from their skins
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 5 fresh sage leaves, finely sliced
• 125ml red wine
• 8 vine tomatoes
• 250ml chicken or vegetable stock
• 300g tagliatelle or pappardelle
• 10g fresh parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
• handful -grated parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F, fan 180°C.  gas 6, 
2. Roughly chop the prepared chestnuts.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan over a low heat and fry the onion until yellow – takes about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic, fennel and sage. Cook for 1 min in the onion.
5. Add the boar sausage meat to the pan. Breaking into small pieces beforehand with a wooden spoon.
6. Fry for 5 mins, then stir in the tomato purée.
7. Cook for 1 min, then add the wine and simmer for 1-2 mins until reduced and sticky.
8. Stir in the chestnuts and stock. Simmer gently for 10 mins until thickened. 
9. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta to pack instructions.
10. Drain, then add to the pan with the ragu and stir to coat. Add the parsley and if you want, add grated parmesan cheese.