Fettuccine with Braised Rabbit from Ischia | Recipe

BIGGINA’S FETTUCCINE CON CONIGLIO ALL’ISCHITANA

Prep:   2 hours, plus resting  | Servings:   4–6  | Dried pasta alternative:  Bucatini

Biggina was the youngest of nine children. Her first job on her parents’ small farm was to move the rotted manure to the vegetables using a basket on her head. She did this after school in the mornings. At school, she loved history: “I loved the stories and the drama, even though my teacher was a fascist and only wanted to talk about certain events.” She was able to stay on at school until she was 11 years old, after which she worked full-time on the farm, growing mostly tomatoes that she’d sell in the local market.

Her sister got a licence for a stall in the main market in Ischia, where she remembers swapping a basket of grapes for apples, “and that was the first time I had ever tried them!” Biggina also weaves her own trays – they look like rimmed tennis racquets with short handles – and in her retirement continues to sell these, along with foraged herbs and capers. “It’s how I meet people! What am I going to do? Sit on my own up here?” She has the most stunning views of the coastline and sea, so it would be understandable if that is what she wanted.

Rabbit was her family’s main source of meat, only eaten on special occasions. Centuries ago, the islanders developed a unique way of rearing them called coniglio di fosso. They dig a 3-metre-wide by 4-metre-deep stone-lined hole, like a well, where the rabbits are then able to make their own burrows and socialise as they would in the wild. Biggina also reared rabbits like this and grew the grasses to feed them.

Rabbit is an excellent lean meat, but you may prefer to swap it for six skinless chicken thighs on the bone. On the island of Ischia, this dish is commonly served with bucatini, a popular dried pasta.

Ingredients

FOR THE PASTA

• 275g egg or 5 eggs
• 20g olive oil
• 500g (4¼ cups) 0 flour, plus extra for dusting

FOR THE RABBIT SAUCE

• extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 rabbit, jointed, including offal and head
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 red chilli, deseeded
• (optional and to taste)
• 375ml (1¼ cups) dry white wine
• 750g fresh flavoursome cherry tomatoes, or a tin of good-quality tomatoes
• salt

Method

To make the rabbit sauce, pour plenty of olive oil into a large casserole or Dutch oven and warm it up over a medium-low heat. Season the rabbit joints generously with salt and fry them a few at a time if it is a crowd to add them all at once; you want to saute not simmer the meat. Once all the pieces all golden, return them to the pan. Add the whole garlic cloves, the herbs and the chilli (if using) and fry for another minute. Pour in the wine and let the alcohol evaporate completely (you can tell because the steam stops smelling boozy), then add the tomatoes. Add enough water to barely cover the meat and simmer it, covered, for 2 hours.

After the first hour, taste the sauce and a piece of meat and if necessary adjust the seasoning.

While the rabbit cooks, make the pasta. Beat the eggs in a small bowl with the olive oil, then continue as with usual egg pasta dough methods. Note: the addition of olive oil makes this dough softer. Leave it to rest, covered, for 30-45 minutes.

When the rabbit sauce is ready, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 2mm. You’ll probably need extra flour to smooth over your board and pin. Once you have done this, let the sfoglia dry for 5-10 minutes on your board; you don’t want it sticking when you roll it up, and you don’t want to keep adding flour. So: take some photos for Instagram! When you are ready, roll up the pasta as you would a carpet, and slice across it with a straight-bladed knife. Fettuccine should be about 5mm wide – though Biggina wasn’t bothered by width – and can be as long as you like; remember that those from Campania can be a bit thick or chunky.

When you are ready to eat, heat a large serving plate and ladle some still-hot sauce on it.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, drop in the fettuccine and give the water a good stir to stop the pasta from sticking. Once the water has returned to the boil, cook the pasta for about 2 minutes before you nibble a bit. How many minutes it needs to cook will depend on how thick the ribbons are. When the pasta is al dente, scoop it out with a spider and transfer it to the serving plate. Pour more sauce on top, toss well and serve. Reserve the meat for the main course.