Bucatini Pasta with Braised Rabbit Ragu from Ischia

Ingredients

• pound srabbit(cut into piece s)
• garlic clove speeled
• flozswhite wine
• small fresh red chili pepperor dried flakes (optional)
• sprigrosemaryleaves removed from stem
• tablespoon fresh thyme or marjoramor 1 teaspoon dried
• saltfor pasta and to taste
• black pepperto taste
• ounce sbucatini pasta
• all purpose flourfor flouring rabbit piece s
• tablespoon extra virigin olive oil
• ounce scherry tomatoescut in half

Instructions

1. Wash the rabbit pieces and remove liver and kidneys and set aside (if you have them). Marinate the rabbit in 250ml white wine for 2 hours or overnight. Then drain and pat dry with kitchen paper ( I also added some thyme and rosemary to the wine).
2. Wash and cut the tomatoes in half.. Wash and chop the herbs and peel the garlic. (sprigs of fresh herbs can also be left whole)
3. Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottom iron skillet or saucepan. Add the garlic and peperoncino flakes and saute for a minute or two until the garlic is lightly golden.
4. Flour and season the rabbit pieces, add them to the pan and brown. Turn and brown them on the other side.
5. Once the rabbit is nicely golden brown on both sides, remove the garlic and add more white wine. Allow the alcohol to evaporate a little and then cover and simmer the rabbit in the wine for 15 minutes. Turn the rabbit pieces and continue to simmer covered for another 15 minutes.
6. Add the cherry tomato halves, thyme or marjoram, rosemary, salt and pepper to taste. Plus the rabbit liver and kidneys if you have them. Continue cooking uncovered for a few minutes until the tomatoes start to soften. Cover and continue to cook until the meat is done (another 15 20 minutes), adding a bit more wine as necessary to keep it from drying out and to obtain a nice sauce for the pasta.
7. In the meantime, put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again.
8. Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the pan to a plate and keep half warm to serve separately with potatoes. Remove the meat from the other half of the rabbit pieces, chop it finely and add it back into the sauce.
9. Cook the bucatini pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet. When ready, save a cup of the cooking water and drain.
10. Reheat the sauce, adding some of the pasta cooking water if it seems dry then add the bucatini and mix everything together well so that the pasta gets coated in the sauce. Finally sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.
11. Serve immediately with some extra pieces of rabbit if you aren’t planning another course or to use the rest of the braised rabbit another time.