Pappardelle al Sugo di Lepre alla Toscana
Tuscany (widespread in Chianti and Maremma areas)
The autumn pasta of the Tuscan hunting season: wide, rough-edged egg pappardelle with a slow-braised hare ragù. The whole hare is marinaded overnight in Chianti Classico with juniper, bay, and rosemary, then jointed and braised 2.5 hours in the marinade until the meat falls from the bone. The meat is shredded and returned to the reduced braising liquor. The sauce is wine-dark, gamey, deeply complex — nothing like a beef ragù. Pappardelle are the only suitable pasta form: wide enough to carry the weight of the sauce.