This is something we usually make while in Italy around the holidays, around Thanksgiving and Christmas time and the new year — a pheasant ragu pappardelle.
Recipe featured on Rachael Ray in Tuscany.
Season the pheasant with salt and let it sit uncovered in a dish in the lowest part of the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
Brown the pheasant in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Take the meat out and add the carrots, celery, onions and fennel and season with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes. Add in garlic and herb bundle of sage, rosemary and thyme, the 2 bay leaves, juniper and red pepper flakes. Add back browned pheasant and bone broth and red wine and bring to a boil. Cover the skillet with 2 layers of foil or dutch oven lid and place in the oven for 1 hour or until very tender. Remove the pheasant to a platter to let it cool enough to handle. Pull pheasant meat from the bones and chop into bite sized pieces. Add back to the sauce in the pan. Return the pan back to the stove and heat over medium, stir in demi glace, dates, cinnamon and allspice. Let simmer to thickenBring the pasta water to boil and salt it generously.
Cook pappardelle pasta a minute less than directed and reserve 1 cup water. Drain and toss pasta with starchy water, a couple tablespoons of EVOO, cheese, pheasant sauce and half of the chopped herbs and nuts.
