Pappardelle al cinghiale is the dish of autumn in Tuscany. When the hunting season opens, wild boar from the hills of Chianti, Mugello and Maremma ends up in the pot: marinated in red wine, cooked slowly for hours with tomato, rosemary and juniper, and served over wide ribbons of egg pasta that hold the sauce.
It takes time, but very little work. Start the day before with the marinade, and on the day let the ragù bubble gently while you do something else. In Bulgaria wild boar (глиган) is easy to find from butchers and hunters in this season; if you cannot get it, use pork shoulder.
The right wine
Wild boar is lean, dark and a little gamey, and the sauce is rich with tomato and red wine. It needs a red with fresh acidity and firm but ripe tannins: in other words, Sangiovese, the grape of the same hills.
- Chianti Rufina Riserva "Nipozzano" 2020, Frescobaldi – our first choice. Sangiovese from the hills east of Florence, with cherry, violet and a savoury edge. Its acidity cuts through the ragù and its tannins meet the meat.
- Chianti Rufina Riserva "Nipozzano Vecchie Viti" 2019, Frescobaldi – from the old vines of the same estate: deeper and more structured, for a Sunday lunch.
- Brunello di Montalcino "CastelGiocondo" 2018, Frescobaldi – the great Tuscan red for a special occasion. Use a younger Chianti in the sauce and keep the Brunello for the glass.
Open the bottle 30 minutes before dinner and serve it at 16–18 °C.