Fettuccine Pasta Ossobuco with orange and lemon zest.
Fettuccine con Ossobuco di Vitello scomposto.
Ossobuco, meaning ‘bone with a hole’, is a wonderful traditional braised veal shank recipe from Milan. The veal shank is cut into ‘chops’ which are braised in white wine and stock and served with a gremolata (a chopped herb condiment which includes lemon zest). It’s traditionally eaten with either risotto Milanese (risotto with saffron) or polenta. Away from Milan, it is sometimes served with pasta, like in this pasta ossobuco recipe.
Ossobuco is one of my favourite Italian dishes and one of the first I mastered when I moved to Italy. Although, over the years, my version is has become slightly more contemporary than the original one. I started by following the traditional recipe but now like to add oranges to it and bake it with oranges, carrots and pumpkin. I just love both the colour and flavour this combination gives the dish.
Ossobuco is widely known and loved, especially here in Northern Italy. But, it isn’t often found in restaurants outside of Milan. (Another reason why I had wanted to learn to make it when I first moved to Italy 15 years ago). I think in all these years in Verona, I have found it, and of course eaten it, in restaurants only a half a dozen times. Perhaps the fact that veal isn’t a cheap meat and ossobuco takes time to cook, puts restaurant owners off including it on the menu. I’m not sure. I’m just brainstorming here!
Pasta ossobuco can be made with beef too.
Anyway, luckily veal ossobuco cuts can be found at most butchers and supermarkets. In Italy, you can also get beef ossobuco cuts which is a good alternative to veal for people who either don’t eat it or find it too expensive. I made this pasta ossobuco with veal. But I imagine beef would work well too. Although it might need a longer cooking time.
Pasta ossobuco involves cooking the veal in more or less the same way as one would for the traditional dish and then removing the meat and marrow from the bones to create a pasta sauce. I served it with fettuccine but other pasta such as tagliatelle, fresine or tagliolini would also go well with it. I think Northern Italian egg pasta is the best choice, since ossobuco is a Northern Italian dish.
Simple is so often best!
I found a number of pasta ossobuco recipes on Italian recipe sites. This was probably the simplest. But as Italian cuisine is where simple reigns supreme, I was right to follow this recipe. Apart from the meat all you need is some beef stock (preferably homemade), white wine, fresh parsley, flour, butter and lemon zest. I also added some orange zest because I’m obsessed with ossobuco and oranges!
The result was sublime! My Italian dinner guests were much impressed, which was great for my ego! I rarely serve guests recipes I’m trying out for the first time. However, on this occasion, I took the risk and it certainly paid off. If you like ossobuco and you’re a pasta lover (which you must be if you are reading this!) do give this recipe a try. You won’t be disappointed!
If you make this pasta ossobuco recipe I’d love to hear how it turns out and if you liked it. Please leave a comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Buon appetito!
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Fettuccine Pasta Ossobuco
Ingredients
- 320 g fresh fettuccine pasta (11oz) or tagliatelle or tagliolini (I used Giovanni Rana fresh fettuccine)
- 3 veal shank chops medium sized
- 1 Lt beef broth (33floz) homemade is better
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- all-purpose flour
- 1 lemon for zest
- 1 orange for zest
- ½ glass white wine
- 2 knobs butter
- 1 handful fresh parsley chopped
- salt for pasta and to taste
- black or white pepper to taste
- 30 g Parmigiano Reggiano (1oz) grated (optional)
Instructions
- Wash the meat and pat it dry.
- Cut the outer rim of the ossobuco chops with small cuts along the edge (to prevent them curling up while cooking) and lightly flour on both sides.
- Brown in a frying pan or iron skillet with 2 tablespoons of heated extra virgin olive oil and a knob of butter for a couple of minutes each side.
- Salt both sides and add the wine, taking care not to wet the meat, but only the bottom or edges of the pan.
- Once the alcohol has evaporated, add some of the chopped parsley and 2 ladles of hot stock and continue cooking covered, turning occasionally and adding a few more tablespoons of broth every 10 minutes or so.
- After about 45 minutes, turn off and allow to cool down. (the meat needs to be very tender so if you feel it needs further cooking, cook for another 10-15 minutes)
- While the meat is cooking put a pan of water onto boil for the pasta. Add salt once it boils and bring to the boil again.
- Remove the meat from the pan. Cut it into small pieces and scoop the marrow from the middle of the bone.
- Put the meat and marrow back in the saucepan. Add a little more broth and another knob of butter and mix. Add the zest of half a lemon and half an orange and some freshly ground white or black pepper.
- Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet. Fresh pasta cooks very quickly. Save a ladle of pasta cooking water and drain the pasta.
- If your sauce seems dry add some of the pasta cooking water. Stir and then add the drained pasta to the sauce. Mix everything together well so the pasta gets coated in the sauce.
- Serve immediately sprinkled with more parsley and grated Parmesan if required.
Notes
Nutrition
Kelly Anthony says
I'm also always nervous cooking a new recipes for dinner guests but goodness it feels good when it turns out amazing! Great work!
Jere Cassidy says
Ossobuco isn't something offered much in my area. Great to see your photos and technique on preparation. The dish looks delicious.
admin says
Thanks so much Jere! You can also make this dish with beef shank cuts 'ossobuco' if you can't find veal easily! I've made it with both. The beef requires slightly longer cooking! Hope you'll get to try it. All the best from Verona! Jacqui
Stephanie says
So yummy and easy! Love it
admin says
Thanks so much Stephanie! I love this recipe too because as you say, it's pretty easy and really delicious! I hope you'll give it a try! Salute da Verona! Jacqui
Catherine Brown says
Had to come back and rate this one!! KUDOS!
admin says
Wow thank you Catherine! I'm thrilled you like this recipe so much! I hope you'll try it and let me know how it turns out! All the best. Jacqui
Kiki Johnson says
A pasta version of one of my favourite Italian meals? GENIUS! Any leftovers for me?
admin says
Grazie KiKi. Ossobuco is also one of my favourite Italian dishes and it works so well with pasta! Sadly there were no leftovers, which I guess is a good sign! Greetings from Verona! Jacqui
Catherine Brown says
Oh WOW! Orange AND lemon... how fantastic is that??! I can taste this already!! 🙂
Constance Smith says
I agree, simple is usually much better. I must say I do love your additions though. Looks AMAZING!
admin says
Thanks so much Constance! Yes the orange and lemon zest really finish this recipe off nicely. It's superlicious and def worth trying. Greetings from Verona! Jacqui
Nicole Tingwall says
There's nothing like fresh pasta with simple ingredients! My dad LOVES ossobuco! Definitely making this for him
admin says
Thank you Nicole! Yes some of the best pasta recipes are made with just a few simple ingredients, like this one. That's what makes pasta such a great food! All the best. Jacqui