Pappardelle with Rabbit

INGREDIENTS:
2 oz. pkg dried Porcini Mushrooms
2/3 cup warm water
2 bay leaves (fresh preferred)
2 TBS butter (or 1 TBS EVOO)
1 onion, small, chopped fine
1 carrot, chopped fine
1 celery stick, chopped fine
2 oz pancetta (or thick-cut, smoked bacon), chopped
1/3 cup Italian parsley, chopped (fresh preferred)
1-2 lb rabbit (9-12 oz deboned)
4 TBS dry white wine
1 7 oz. can chopped Italian Plum tomatoes
1 5 oz. can tomato paste
11 oz. pappardelle (fresh or dried)
Salt and Pepper to taste

METHOD:
Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl and pour water over them and soak for 15
minutes. Make a tear in each bay leaf to help release oils.

Heat the butter or oil in a large frying pan, waiting for soft tendrils of
smoke to start to rise from pan. Add chopped vegetables, pancetta or bacon,
and parsley; cook for approx. 5 minute.

Add the rabbit (if using bone-in, cut into manageable pieces and allow a
longer browning time) to frying pan and brown on all sides. Tranfer
everything to crockpot and switch to high. Add wine, tomatoes, and paste.
Drain the mushrooms and add to crockpot. Carefully add mushroom stock;
beware the grit on the bottom. Add bay leaves and season everything with
salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 2 hours on high, 5 hours on low.

Lift rabbit out, discard bay leaves, check seasoning and adjust accordingly.
Cook pappardelle according to package just prior to serving. Toss everything
together when pasta is finished and serve with a sprinkling of parsley and
more cracked pepper across the top.

Notes: We enjoyed the rabbit but the pappardelle were too different for my
daughter-units: "Lasagne noodles are only for lasagne." I'd substitute penne
or simply egg noodles the next time.

The Ranger

On Sun, 31 May 2009 08:44:55 -0700, "The Ranger"
> wrote:

>Pappardelle with Rabbit

<snip> Was that a Lidia Bastianich recipe?

>Notes: We enjoyed the rabbit but the pappardelle were too different for my
>daughter-units: "Lasagne noodles are only for lasagne." I'd substitute penne
>or simply egg noodles the next time.
>
FWIW: I like wide noodles for certain dishes. The broadest broad
noodles are often too skinny for me.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

The Ranger wrote:
>
> 11 oz. pappardelle (fresh or dried)

Oh! Those poor puppies!

:-)

Mark Thorson > wrote in message
...
> The Ranger wrote:
>>
>> 11 oz. pappardelle (fresh or dried)
>
> Oh! Those poor puppies!
>
> :-)

Indeed. The ones with the ribbons fluted edges are the best.

The Ranger