Rabbit Ragu over Pasta

 This is more of a late fall /  early winter recipe, but one of my favorite dishes.  I recommend that a hearty pasta be used for the noodle, something like a pappardelle.  It is also really good over gnoki, or for those of you who wish to take this in a more redneck direction try it with mashed potatoes.   You can also use chicken thigh to sub out for the rabbit, or to bulk it up if you don't have all the rabbit this recipe requires.

Ingredients

.75 C olive oil

2 whole rabbits, cut into quarters

salt and pepper to taste

1 C flour

2C onions small dice

1C carrots small dice

1C celery small dice

2C red cooking wine

1 tsp crushed fresh garlic

28oz crushed caned tomatoes

2 ea bay leaves

3 sprig thyme

1 sprig rosemary

1tsp red pepper flakes

1 sprig fresh oregano

2 C chicken stock

  your favorite pasta

  Method

Pre-heat the oven to 325

Season the Rabbit pieces with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.

In a med to large oven safe casserole pan heat 3tbls of the olive oil on med high heat

Add the Rabbit to the pan and cook until golden brown approx 3-5minutes per side.

Remove Rabbit and set aside allowing excess oil to drain

Reduce heat to Med and add the chopped onions stirring with a wooden spoon until onions start to caramelize

Add the chopped carrots and cook until carrots start to caramelize, stirring frequently

Add the chopped celery and caramelize

Add the cooking wine reduce heat to med low and allow the wine to simmer until it has reduced by 75%

Add the garlic, crushed tomatoes, fresh herbs and red pepper flakes

Bring heat back up to med until sauce comes to a slow simmer and add the stock

Add the Rabbit pieces back to the pot, cover and place in the pre-heated oven for one hour

When time is up take the pot from the oven and remove lid

Using tongs carefully pull rabbit pieces out and pull the meat from the bones

Return the meat to the sauce

Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired

Serve over a bed of your favorite pasta