Casarecce Selvatico
This is one of those pasta dishes that makes no attempt to be light or subtle. Wild boar, bacon, red wine and juniper create a powerful, deep base, while mushrooms cooked separately with garlic, chilli and rosemary add another layer of aroma. The result is dark, intense and thoroughly woodland-inspired—exactly as a game dish should be.
I also like this recipe because every ingredient has its place. The boar is not simmered in tomatoes from the outset, the mushrooms are prepared separately, and the San Marzano tomatoes bring everything together without overpowering the meat.
Method
1. Bacon and wild boar
Dice the bacon finely and put it into a large, cold frying pan. Slowly render the fat until the bacon starts to brown.
Add the minced boar. Increase the heat and fry vigorously, allowing the meat to brown properly. Do not keep stirring—we want distinct caramelisation, not meat stewing in its own juices.
Only once the meat has browned, season it lightly with salt and pepper.
2. Vegetables and aromatics
Add the finely chopped yellow onion and carrot, diced very finely or coarsely grated.
Fry for about 5 minutes.
Lightly crush the juniper berries in a mortar or with the flat of a knife, then add them to the meat along with the fresh thyme leaves.
3. Wine
Pour in 100–120 ml dry red wine.
Increase the heat and scrape all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce for about 3–5 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. San Marzano tomatoes
Crush the tomatoes by hand or with a spoon.
Start by adding about 300–350 g of tomatoes with some of their juice. Keep the rest for later—the sauce should be primarily meaty, not tomato-forward.
Simmer on low heat for about 25–30 minutes. If the sauce becomes too dry, add the remaining tomatoes or a splash of water.
5. Mushrooms
Cut the brown mushrooms into thick slices or quarters.
Heat a little olive oil in a separate, very hot pan, and fry the mushrooms in batches until well browned.
Towards the end, add:
finely chopped garlic,
a few slices of chilli,
a little finely chopped fresh rosemary.
Fry for another minute. Only now season lightly with salt.
Add the mushrooms to the ragù for the final 5 minutes of cooking.
6. Pasta
Cook the casarecce until very al dente in well-salted water.
Transfer it straight into the ragù. Add a small amount of pasta cooking water and toss vigorously over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, until the sauce thoroughly coats the pasta.
Serving
Serve immediately and finish with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano—about 10–15 g per portion.
Do not overdo the cheese. It should boost the umami of the boar and mushrooms, not cover up the wine, juniper and herbs.
Character of the dish: boar, bacon, red wine and juniper form a deep base; mushrooms sautéed with garlic, chilli and rosemary add a separate, more aromatic layer.