Marche
Freshly made tagliatelle with a slow-braised wild boar ragù from the Marche Apennine hills — the boar marinated in Rosso Piceno red wine with juniper, bay and rosemary, then braised until falling apart, shredded back into the deeply reduced wine sauce. Finished with a generous grating of Pecorino di Fossa for its mineral funk.
Gamey, winey, deeply savoury; juniper and bay give alpine resinousness; Pecorino di Fossa adds a funky mineral layer; the tagliatelle's egg richness smooths the rough game flavour — mountain pasta of serious character
{"Marinate the boar for 48 hours in Rosso Piceno with aromatics — wild boar from the Marche hills is more aggressive in flavour than lowland varieties","Discard the marinade; deglaze browning pan with fresh wine and stock — marinade proteins create a bitter, murky sauce","Braise the boar covered at 160°C for 2.5–3 hours until completely tender","Shred the meat finely back into the reduced braising liquid — the resulting ragù must have texture but no large pieces","Finish tagliatelle in the pan with ragù and pasta water — the pasta must absorb the sauce before serving"}
{"The rendered boar fat skimmed from the top of the braising liquid can be used to cook the pasta before tossing — extraordinary flavour","A small piece of dark chocolate (70%) and a tablespoon of vin cotto stirred in at the end gives a Marche mountain baroque quality","Pecorino di Fossa's mineral-funky quality contrasts with the gamey boar in a way Parmigiano cannot"}
{"Short marinade — the gaminess of wild boar requires the full 48-hour treatment","Using the marinade as braising liquid — the resulting ragù will be bitter and cloudy","Keeping the boar in large pieces rather than shredding — the meat must be pulled into small shreds that distribute through every portion"}
La Cucina delle Marche — Sapori e Tradizioni