Ive read and seen versions of this dish cooked a couple of times over the last few weeks. The first was by Nigel Slater, with an extract from his latest Kitchen Diaries cookbook; the other was by Gennaro Contaldo on Saturday Kitchen. My version is inspired by both.
I couldnt actually find any fresh pappardelle (nor dry for that matter) so Ive improvised by cutting fresh sheets of lasagne into wide strips.
Serves 2-4
2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
1 sheet baby pork ribs, cut into 4 x 3 ribs
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
5 shallots, peeled and very finely chopped
200g mushrooms, finely chopped
500ml beef stock (from a good quality cube is fine)
2 tbsp double cream
Fresh pappardelle pasta (thats the thick ribbons)
50-100g freshly grated Parmesan
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and brown the ribs all over. Remove and transfer to a plate.
2. Add the carrots and shallots to the pan and gently fry for a few minutes until they become tender.
3. Transfer the ribs, carrots and shallots to a slow cooker. Add the mushrooms and beef stock. Cook on LOW for 3-4 hours until the rib meat is falling off the bone.
4. Remove the ribs and take off all the meat. Discard the bones.
5. Transfer the carrot/shallot/mushroom stock to a saucepan and simmer until it reduces by half or to a saucey consistency.
6. Add the rib meat and heat through. Stir in the cream.
7. Meanwhile, cook the pappardelle in a large pan of boiling water according to pack instructions, approx. 3 mins.
8. Serve the pappardelle with the ragu piled on top. Garnish with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan.
