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1
Place the jointed hare in a non-reactive vessel and pour over 750 ml Morellino di Scansano, then add the juniper berries, rosemary, and sage. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, so the wine works into the dense, dark muscle fibres and draws out the livery edge that would otherwise dominate the finished sauce. The marinade is done when the flesh has deepened in colour throughout and the wine has visibly penetrated the meat.
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2
Lift the hare pieces from the marinade and pat them thoroughly dry, so the surface is free of liquid and will colour rather than steam in the pan. Strain the marinade liquid in full and set it aside; discard the spent aromatics, which have given everything they have and would turn bitter in the long braise.
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3
In a wide heavy pot, brown the hare pieces over high heat until the exterior is deeply coloured on all sides, working in batches if necessary so the pan stays hot enough to colour rather than stew the meat. This is where the dish lives or dies: insufficient browning will not generate the depth of flavour that carries a 3-hour braise — the surface must be dark, not merely golden, and the fond on the pan base must be richly coloured before any liquid is added.
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4
Deglaze with the additional 250 ml of Morellino, scraping the fond completely so that concentrated caramelised residue dissolves back into the sauce rather than being lost. Pour in the strained marinade, add the strip of orange zest and the tablespoon of black olive paste, then bring to a bare simmer — the surface should tremble, not boil — so the collagen in the hare releases slowly and the sauce becomes dense and glossy rather than tight and grainy. Braise, covered, for 2 hours 50 minutes; the ragù is approaching readiness when the meat yields completely at the joint and the liquid has reduced to a coating consistency.
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5
If the hare liver is available, add it whole 10 minutes before the braise ends, so it has time to cook through and then dissolve into the sauce, lending a mineral richness that lifts the whole pot without announcing itself as liver. At the end of 3 hours total, lift the hare pieces, strip all meat cleanly from the bone, and return the shredded meat to the pot. The finished ragù should coat a spoon heavily and carry a deep burgundy colour with no excess liquid pooling at the surface.
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6
Make the pappardelle: combine the flour and eggs to a firm dough, rest it for 30 minutes so the gluten relaxes and the dough rolls without springing back, then roll to approximately 2 mm thickness and cut strips of minimum 3 cm width, ideally 4 cm. Cook in well-salted boiling water until tender with no raw-flour resistance at the centre but still carrying a perceptible body — fresh pappardelle of this thickness will require 3–4 minutes.
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7
Drain the pappardelle, reserving a ladleful of pasta water, then toss immediately in the ragù over low heat so the sauce clings to each strip while it is still hot and receptive. Add pasta water by the spoonful if required to bring the sauce to a consistency that coats every ribbon without pooling in the bowl. Serve at once.