This rich and hearty wild boar ragu recipe comes from Tuscany. However, wild boar ragu with pasta is popular in a number of other Italian regions too, including where I live in Veneto. In fact, we often see wild boar near our house! But, of course, we don't hunt them!
Pappardelle con ragu di cinghiale alla toscana.
To many people, wild boar ragu sounds rather exotic and luxurious! But, actually, wild boar has been hunted and eaten by humans for thousands of years. In fact, it is used in traditional recipes in many parts of the world.
Here in Italy, wild boar are hunted and farmed throughout the country. The meat is used to make salami and sausages and cooked in various ways, although mostly braised or stewed. One of the most well-known wild boar dishes is this pappardelle with wild boar ragu, which comes from Tuscany There, it is often thought of as ‘the’ regional dish!
Wild boar in Tuscany.
Wild boar are widespread in Tuscany. I have read that there are around 150,000 wild boar in the region. Many of these animals can be found in the Maremma area, a beautiful unspoiled part of Southern Tuscany, which is home to a large national park of the same name.
Hunting wild boar is a tradition and a passion in Tuscany and there are many Tuscan specialities made with wild boar. The region hosts about 10 annual wild boar festivals in different towns and villages, where visitors can taste some of these foods.
Wild boar is a very healthy meat!
Whether farmed or hunted, wild boar is a very healthy meat. It is lower in calories, fat, saturated fat and cholesterol than normal pork. It’s also higher in protein than pork, beef, lamb and chicken. When farmed, the animals are kept in a free-range environment and aren’t given any antibiotics or growth hormones. This is true not only in Italy, but also the US.
Apart from being a healthier meat option, wild boar is also very tasty. It falls somewhere between pork and venison. Although, the older the animal, the stronger the flavour. Older animals also have tougher meat. Here in Italy, the meat for wild boar ragu is traditionally marinated in red wine to not only tenderize it, but also to add flavour! This is what I did for this Tuscan wild boar ragu recipe and the meat was melt in your mouth soft!
Marinating the wild boar meat makes it tender.
As I mentioned above, wild boar meat has to be marinated in red wine with herbs and vegetables for 12 hours before cooking. I used a Chianti, of course! You can also use Merlot, other Sangiovese, Montepulciano or Valpolicella.
Some people leave the boar marinating for 24 hours! So, you will need to take that into account when planning to prepare this dish. However, apart from the marinating and cooking time, Tuscan wild boar ragu is pretty easy to make. Cooking times can vary depending on the meat.
I found recipes with widely different recommended cooking times (from one hour to 4 hours!). So, I suggest it’s best to be prepared to cook as long as necessary for the meat to be tender rather than just to follow the stated cooking times. As I said before, the older the animal the tougher the meat. So, meat from a young animal will require less cooking time than that of an older boar. Mine took about 2 hours.
Other ingredients for your wild boar ragu.
The other ingredients are similar to those in other ragu recipes; onion, carrot, celery, peeled tomatoes and herbs such as rosemary and bay leaves, as well as juniper berries. Some recipes call for sage instead of rosemary, or both. I didn't use sage. Some recipes suggest using the marinating veggies in the sauce. But, I peeled and chopped fresh ones as I didn’t like the idea of using the wine soaked ones.
Wow your guests with wild boar ragu!
Nowadays wild boar meat is quite widely available and can even be bought online. Here, I can buy it frozen all year round already cut into chunks. Needless to say, wild boar is more expensive than pork. But, now and again, I think it's great to try new foods and this is very much a special occasion dish, even in Italy. It's sure to give your meal a wow factor and impress your guests. It would be perfect for a holiday meal at Christmas or New Year.
The pasta for wild boar ragu.
Wild boar ragu is nearly always served with pappardelle, or sometimes tagliatelle. I used dried pappardelle that I got earlier this year on a visit to Campofilone in Le Marche region. Campofilone is famous for its fine egg pasta called maccheroncini di Campofilone. However, many of the pasta makers there also make other types of egg pasta. This pappardelle came from a company called Pasta Marilungo.
If you don't have pappardelle or tagliatelle, you can use different pasta! You can also serve this Tuscan wild boar ragu with polenta or mashed potatoes. Both are yummy, although I prefer with pasta, of course!
If you do try this Tuscan wild boar ragu recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. Please, write a comment here on the blog or post a comment on the Pasta Project Facebook page.
Your feedback means a lot to me!
Buon Appetito!
Other recipes from Tuscany on The Pasta Project.
Tuscan wild boar ragu with pappardelle pasta
Ingredients
- 500 g wild boar (1.1lbs) you can also use pork
- 400 g pappardelle pasta (14oz)
for Marinade
- 1 onion peeled and halved
- 1 carrot washed and cut into large pieces
- 1 celery stalk washed and cut into large pieces
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoon juniper berries
- 2 cloves of garlic peeled
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 lt red wine I used Chianti. Merlot, other Sangiovese, Montepulciano or Valpolicella are good choices too.
- ground black pepper
For the sauce
- 500 g tomato passata or peeled tomatoes (1.1lbs)
- 1 onion peeled and finely chopped
- 1 carrot washed and finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk washed and finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 garlic cloves peeled
- 3-4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 glass red wine
- salt for pasta and to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash the wild boar meat, cut it into chunks and put it in a large bowl.
- Add the onion (peeled and cut in half) and the carrot and the celery in large pieces, the 2 peeled cloves of garlic, the bay leaves, the juniper berries, the rosemary and some black pepper.
- Cover with red wine and mix.
- Cover the container with plastic wrap or a lid and allow to stand in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.
- Once the necessary time has passed, drain the meat and eliminate the vegetables and herbs. You can cut the meat into smaller pieces if preferred.
Make the ragu
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan or skillet and fry the garlic, carrot, celery and onion slightly Add the bay leaves
- Add the wild boar meat and brown it on all sides.
- Add the red wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
- Lower the flame and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomato pulp/ peeled tomatoes and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook with the flame reduced to a minimum for about 1.5-2 hours (depending on the size of the pieces of wild boar and how old it is). Stir occasionally and add some beef stock or water if the sauce seems dry.
- While the ragu is cooking put a pot of water onto boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. When you are ready to serve your wild boar ragu, cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet. Once ready, save a cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.
- If you are reheating the ragu and it seems dry add some of the pasta cooking water. Remove the bay leaves and garlic cloves and add the pasta to the ragu and mix together carefully. You don’t want to break the pasta ribbons.
- Serve immediately. (Italians don't normally add grated cheese to this dish or chopped parsley)
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2018. It has been updated with new photos and text.
Raquel says
I love how you so often use meat that I'd never even imagined trying before! It broadens my horizon (:
The Pasta Project says
Thank you, Raquel! I hope you get to try wild boar!
Christy Boston's Kitchen says
Mmmmmm, I love ragu! This recipe with marinated wild boar and veggies sounds pretty hearty - a great winter meal!
The Pasta Project says
Thank you, Christy. This ragu is really wonderful!
Kay says
What a fantastic recipe, I have never had wild boar and not sure where in the UK we would get it from?? Will have to look into it...... Until then, I will give it a go with pork. Thanks for sharing!
The Pasta Project says
Thank you, Kay. You should be able to find it online or at a specialist butcher!
Tamara J says
I can’t wait to try this- what do you think about substituting ground pork or beef for the wild boar? It may not be as simple to find here in Florida! Pappardelle pasta is some of my fave, so this is an amazing recipe.
Chef Dennis says
I've never tried this before. Your Tuscan Wild Boar Ragu with Pappardelle Pasta Ribbons recipe looks really delicious and this would be really good for our next family meal.
The Pasta Project says
Thank you, I hope everyone loves it!
Alisa Infanti says
What an interesting dish. I would never think of using wild boar in a pasta dish but this recipe was fantastic!
The Pasta Project says
Thank you, Alisa!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest says
This ragu sounds so rich and satisfying. I've never cooked with wild boar before, but I did have it while on vacation in Martinique of all places. I'm going to have to source some to make this beautiful dish.
The Pasta Project says
Thank you, Lisa. I hope you source some to try it.
Jessica Formicola says
I absolutely love wild boar, and this pasta looks amazing! I can't wait to make it for dinner tonight!
The Pasta Project says
Fabulous Jessica, let me know how it turns out!
Suzy says
Pappardelle is perfect for a ragu sauce! I can't wait to find wild boar meat and give this a try!
The Pasta Project says
It is Suzy! Pappardelle is wonderful!
Pam Greer says
We found some wild boar online and this recipe is amazing! So rich and comforting! It's so worth finding some wild boar!
The Pasta Project says
I am so glad you were able to source some wild boar online.
Jesse says
Hi,
We've recently been to Tuscany and loved this dish!
I was wondering, with your recipe, is it 1 liter of wine for the marinade? And is this wine then used in the cooking of the dish, or does this get emptied out and just one cup of wine is used for cooking?
Thanks!
Jacqui says
Hi Jesse, thanks for your comment. Re the wine. Yes the lt of red wine is for the marinade. The marinade isn't used in the cooking. So just discard it. Maybe I should make that clearer in the recipe instructions. For the sauce, there are different versions here in Italy. Some people add some more red wine to the sauce, some use white and some don't add any more wine at all. They say the meat already has enough wine in it and this will be released into the sauce as the wild boar cooks. I added more red wine to the sauce and loved the result! I hope this helps. Please reach out if you have any other questions! All the best from Verona!
Andrew says
Very glad to find your recipe. My wife and I just returned from honeymoon in Tuscany and loved this dish. Our grocery store ordered wild boar for me but it's almost double (900g) your recipe. Aside from just using half our boar, would you suggest just doubling the whole recipe? May be a silly question but I didn't know if doubling the marinade would have an exponential effect. Thanks!
Jacqui says
Hi Andrew thank you for your comment. Please excuse the delay in replying but I was in London for a funeral and unable to check my site comments. I think you could double the ingredients and make double the quantity of ragu and then freeze what you don't use. I would do the same if I was serving a larger number of people. Do let me know how your wild boar ragu turns out. All the best from Verona!
Stine Mari says
Very interesting to see recipes using other types of meat than beef and pork etc. This looks SO good, can't wait to try it!
The Pasta Project says
Thank you! Yes, it makes a nice change!
Danielle Wolter says
i am just a huge sucker for a good ragu. and i love that you used wild boar - such a flavorful meat! This is like ultimate comfort food!
Jacqui says
Thanks so much Danielle! I love the flavour of wild boar and it makes a fabulous ragu!
Mimi says
Beautiful. And what memories. My husband and I made a point of having and enjoying wild boar rage when we traveled through Tuscany.
admin says
Thank you so much Mimi! Yes wild boar ragu is such a Tuscan classic. I like it a lot, it's tasty and healthy! We even have wild boar where we live in Veneto. I see them near our house quite often!
Mimi says
Beautiful. This post brings back memories of enjoying wild boar ragu in Tuscany years ago. Love your recipe.
Ramona says
I used to eat a lot of wild boar as a kid but I haven’t had it in years. You really make me want it now with this divinely looking recipe.
I do agree with the Italians not adding any chopped herbs it’d ruin its beautiful and unique flavours. I need to look for some wild boar as this recipe will not get out of my head. Absolutely delish and inspirational. Thank you so much for sharing
admin says
Thanks so much dearest Ramona! Glad this recipe has inspired you to try wild boar ragu. I'm sure you'll love it! Hugs from Verona!
Brian Jones says
Wild boar is more common to me than beef, the joys of living in eastern Europe 😉 I love the stuff I know this will be superb, can't wait to make it!
admin says
Thanks Brian, I do hope you give this ragu a try. If you love wild boar, you'll def love this! Buon appetito! Jacqui
Beth says
I cook with a lot of venison, we love it. I have never tried wild boar though! I am jealous! I would love to try it in this delightful pasta recipe! i must see if I can find some in the states! Thanks for the inspiration!
The Pasta Project says
You can find wild boar at some butchers in the US, or order it online 🙂