Wild boar ragu or ragu al cinghiale is my take on an Italian meat sauce using minced boar in a red wine sauce that is perfect pasta fodder.
Whilst the sauce takes about 90 minutes to cook, only around 15 minutes of that involve active cooking, the rest of the time you can chill out and relax!
Wild Boar Bolognese
Pasta with a meat sauce may seem as old as time, but in reality, it has only been around since the 18th century.
Despite that, it is a firm favourite all around the world, and most cooks have a take on bolognese sauce in their armoury.
I have many! I refuse to only do things "one way"; there is always room to like lots of things.
This version uses wild boar and matches it with fennel, two flavours that are perfect together.
But I also have a beef cheek ragu, duck breast ragu, a pork ragu, lamb ragu and sausage ragu.
I even have a lentil bolognese and a sardine pasta ragu that I would gladly stack up with any of my meaty offerings!
If you are looking for other wild boar recipes, check out my wild boar and mushroom stew and wild boar steak with a blackberry sauce!
Frequently Asked Questions
What sort of pasta should/could I use?
This is a nice versatile meat sauce; it will work with everything from penne and rigatoni to pappardelle and fettuccini.
Do I have to use lard?
No, you could use oil if you like, but wild boar is a very lean meat and using lard helps give back that "porcine" fat flavour that is missing.
What sort of red wine should I use?
You want a nice, bold red that is not too sweet. Go for something like merlot, syrah or even a cabernet sauvignon.
What do the anchovies add?
This is a super simple meat sauce with remarkably few ingredients; the anchovies in this recipe amp up that savoury umami vibe in this simple dish.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, the sauce will happily sit in the fridge for 2-3 days and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
This wild boar ragu or ragu al cinghiale recipe is a simple one-bowl dinner, although I do like to serve it with some bread.
I'd usually try and knock up a simple garlic bread with some ciabatta or focaccia.
However pasta ain't the only game in town, a good meaty ragu is superb served over a cheesy polenta porridge. The recipe linked above uses cheddar, but I would use a nice nutty Gruyere to serve with this ragu.
You could also spoon it over a baked potato, which are awesome cooked in an air fryer or even stuff arancini with it!
Equipment Used
I only recommend specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- Medium frying pan (24cm or 10").
- 20cm or 8" saucepan
- Sharp kitchen knife.
- Chopping board.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
- Sieve or colander.
Wild Boar Ragu Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g Minced Wild Boar 9oz
- 1 Small-Medium Shallot 35g
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 4 Anchovy fillets
- 2 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- 375 ml Red Wine ½ Bottle
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 2 tablespoon Lard
- ¼-½ teaspoon Salt (plus extra for boiling pasta)
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Parmesan Cheese (for serving)
- Parsley (for serving)
- 175 g Dry Pasta 6oz
Instructions
- Dice the garlic and onion as finely as you can.
- Peel the shallot and dice it as finely as you can.
- Roughly chop the anchovy fillets.
- Melt the lard in a medium frying pan (24cm or 10") over a medium heat. When hot, add the shallot and cook to soften for 3-4 minutes; if the shallots begin to colour, reduce the temperature a little.
- Add the fennel seeds, tomato puree, garlic and anchovies and cook for another minute, stirring continually.
- Turn the heat up to high and add the wild boar, stir and then cook until nicely browned all over, then season with the salt and pepper.
- Pour in the wine and reduce the heat to get a medium simmer and cook until the wine has created a thick meat sauce. This will take around 70-80 minutes.
- 10 minutes before you are ready to serve, boil the pasta in well-salted water.
- Mix together, adding as much of the pasta cooking liquid as required to coat the pasta.