Wild Boar Ragù Recipe – Giadzy

Name: Wild Boar Ragù
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 55 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: ½ cup extra virgin olive oil; 4 ounces pancetta, finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon fennel pollen; 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped; 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped; 1 bay leaf; 3 juniper berries, crushed (if available); 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 ½ cups); 2 ribs celery, finely chopped (about ¾ cup); 2 medium carrots, finely chopped (about ¾ cup); 3 pounds ground wild boar, or ground pork; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1 cup dry red wine (such as Chianti or Sangiovese); 3 cups tomato passata; 2 cups chicken stock; 1 pound of pasta, optional, for serving; Grated parmigiano reggiano, optional, for serving

You must be signed in as a member to print this content

This rich and aromatic ragù brings the essence of Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio right to your kitchen. Slow-cooked to perfection, it’s a hearty, deeply flavorful sauce that’s perfect for pasta or polenta.

This recipe comes to us from Chef Evan Funke, who is hosting two South Beach Wine & Food Festival collab dinners at his restaurant Mother Wolf Miami with Amanda Freitag on Feb. 20 and Marc Vetri on Feb. 21.

Here, we’ve adapted his recipe for the home cook — if you can’t find ground boar, it still tastes rich and delicious with ground pork, thanks to all the herbs and aromatics that bring this ragù to life (we know because we tried it!).

At Mother Wolf, it’s served with pappardelle or fusilli, but you can choose any pasta shape you prefer. We love it with Mezzi Rigatoni because the sauce clings perfectly to the ridges while the chunks of ground meat naturally gather inside the tube-shaped pasta.

Wild Boar Ragù

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Prep Time

25 minutes

Cook Time

3 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Added to Bag View Bag or Continue Shopping.

Cart Error Some items became unavailable. Update the quantity and try again.
4 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fennel pollen
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 bay leaf

Added to Bag View Bag or Continue Shopping.

Cart Error Some items became unavailable. Update the quantity and try again.
3 juniper berries, crushed (if available)
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
2 ribs celery, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
2 medium carrots, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
3 pounds ground wild boar, or ground pork
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup dry red wine (such as Chianti or Sangiovese)
3 cups tomato passata

Added to Bag View Bag or Continue Shopping.

Cart Error Some items became unavailable. Update the quantity and try again.
2 cups chicken stock
1 pound of pasta, optional, for serving
Grated parmigiano reggiano, optional, for serving

Added to Bag View Bag or Continue Shopping.

Cart Error Some items became unavailable. Update the quantity and try again.

Instructions

Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot (at least 5 quarts) such as a braiser, over medium-high heat. After a minute or so, add the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat renders, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, fennel pollen, sage, rosemary, bay leaf, and juniper berries if using. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Stir frequently and cook until the vegetables are soft and aromatic, about 15 minutes.
Add the ground wild boar and season with the 1 ½ teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of black pepper. Stir to mix with the vegetables. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, until the juices start to release.
Pour in the red wine, stirring to incorporate. Once you see a whisper of steam, add the tomato passata and stir again. Pour in the chicken stock and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and let the ragù simmer gently for 3 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. The sauce should bubble lightly; adjust heat as needed.
After 3 hours, taste the ragù. Adjust seasoning with more salt if necessary. Remove the bay leaf from the sauce.
To store for later, let cool completely. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 6 months. Otherwise, use the sauce straight away tossed with pasta, ladled on polenta, or on pizza. The sauce will be enough for roughly 2 pounds of pasta.