Rabbit is a lean, mildly flavored protein that works perfectly in this slow-cooked, rich tomato sauce. If you’ve never made rabbit before, this rabbit ragù recipe is a great place to start.
Have you ever cooked with rabbit before? Years ago, I had a delicious rabbit leg dish at a restaurant in Philadelphia. A few months later, I attempted to make it at home and failed spectacularly.
Recently, I visited Rivertown Lodge in Hudson Valley and ordered their rabbit pasta. It was a spicy, shredded ragù with breadcrumbs on top. It was fantastic, and I was intent on making the ragù again.
Where to buy rabbit?
You don’t often find rabbit in many standard grocery stores. You can buy fresh or frozen rabbits online from brands like D’Artagnan. Their prices are steep, to say the least. One small rabbit will run you nearly $50. If you’re really desperate, you can even buy a frozen rabbit on Amazon, but one rabbit is $100!
I buy my rabbits from either H Mart or Great Wall, both of which sell them for around $5–$6 per pound, so I end up paying about $15 for a whole rabbit. You may want to do some searching at your local grocery stores, or maybe you want to give the fancy D’Artagnan rabbits a whirl!
It may be easier to find rabbit legs rather than the whole rabbit. You can absolutely use legs in place of the whole rabbit for this rabbit ragù recipe!
How to make this rabbit ragù recipe:
Fortunately, cooking rabbit is not much different than cooking other proteins for pasta sauce. You’ll start by browning the meat, then simmering it in the sauce, and then shredding it from the bones. Rabbit can be slightly sinewy, so you’ll want to watch out for those parts when you pull the meat. Really, the most irritating part of the recipe is pulling the meat from the bones because there are lots of little bones to work around.
What you need
- Whole rabbit: You’ll need a 3-pound rabbit for this. You can buy a cut-up rabbit or use a whole rabbit. You can also use rabbit legs instead.
- Aromatics: You’ll use onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and dry thyme.
- Tomato paste: I use 6 ounces of tomato paste.
- Sweet vermouth: You can use white wine, chicken broth, or sherry. The sweet vermouth adds a deep and complex flavor to the sauce.
- Chopped tomatoes: I used Pomi chopped tomatoes, but a can of crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes work fine. If you use whole peeled tomatoes, be sure to break them apart as they cook.
- Parmesan rind: This is optional, so use it only if you have it.
- Chicken broth: You’ll add a touch of chicken broth to the sauce. I love Better than Bouillon for this.
- Pasta: I’ve made this with rigatoni and tagliatelle, and both work perfectly. Pappardelle would also be fantastic.
- Parmesan: I add a full cup of finely grated Parmesan at the end of cooking. Rabbit is extra lean, so the sauce benefits from a little bit of fat that you’ll get from the Parmesan.
- Basil leaves: I tear a few leaves, add them at the end, and scatter a few on top.
How to make it
This ragù follows my standard equation for most of my other ragù recipes: brown the meat, add the aromatics, add the liquids, and simmer for a good long while. Below are the details:
- Brown the rabbit. Fry the whole rabbit or the pieces on each side for 4–5 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Cook the aromatics. Add the onion, celery, and carrot to the pot and sauté for 8–10 minutes. Add the garlic and season well with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.
- Brown the tomato paste. Don’t be afraid to get that paste sizzling. It should stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Boil the sweet vermouth. Pour in the sweet vermouth and bring to a boil.
- Finish the sauce. From there, add the tomatoes, chicken broth, and Parmesan rind.
- Simmer the rabbit. Add the cooked rabbit to the sauce, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 2 hours until the meat is tender and almost falling off the bone.
The final steps
- Shred the rabbit. Let the rabbit cool, and carefully shred the meat from the bones.
- Simmer a final time. Return the meat to the sauce with the grated Parmesan. Simmer for an additional 20–30 minutes until thick.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil during the final simmer. Cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve some of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
- Sauce the pasta! Add the pasta water to the sauce and bring to a low boil. Add the cooked pasta and a few torn basil leaves and toss to coat. Turn off the heat.
From there, you can transfer the pasta and sauce to a large serving bowl and finish with more Parmesan and basil. Serve the cooked pasta in shallow bowls, and you’re ready to dig in!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I did! If you make it, please drop a comment below to let me know what you think. I’d love to hear from you!
Rabbit Ragù Recipe
Equipment
- Large pot
- Colander
- Microplane
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3- pound rabbit, whole or cut-up or use rabbit legs
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and minced
- 3 small carrots, peeled, trimmed, and minced
- 3 ribs celery, trimmed and minced
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper use more or less to taste
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 4 ounces sweet vermouth
- 26 ounces chopped tomatoes or use a 28-ounce can of crushed or whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 Parmesan rind, optional
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 16 ounces tagliatelle or use rigatoni or pappardelle
- 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese; plus more for garnish
- 12 basil leaves, torn; plus a few for garnish
- Salt, pepper, and sugar to taste
Instructions
Brown the rabbit:
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Pat the rabbit dry and season it with salt and pepper. Once the oil is hot, add it to the pot and sear on each side for 4–5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Cook the aromatics:
- Add the onion, celery, and carrot to the pot and sauté for 8–10 minutes. Add the garlic and season well with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.
Brown the tomato paste:
- Add the tomato paste to the pot and mash it into the aromatics. Cook for 5–7 minutes until it begins to brown and stick to the bottom of the pot.
Boil the sweet vermouth:
- Pour in the sweet vermouth and bring to a boil. Let it bubble in the pot for 3–5 minutes until reduced by half.
Finish the sauce:
- Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, and Parmesan rind. Add salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar.
- Add the rabbit. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 2 hours until the meat is tender and almost falling off the bone.
Shred the rabbit:
- Remove the rabbit from the pot and transfer to a plate. Let the rabbit cool, and carefully shred the meat from the bones.
- Add the shredded meat to the sauce with the grated Parmesan. Simmer, uncovered, for an additional 20–30 minutes until thick. Taste and season.
Cook the pasta:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil during the final simmer. Cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
Sauce the pasta:
- Add the pasta water to the sauce and bring to a low boil. Add the cooked pasta and the torn basil leaves and toss to coat. Turn off the heat.
To serve:
- Transfer the sauced pasta to a large serving bowl. Scatter more Parmesan and a few basil leaves on top. Spoon into shallow bowls and enjoy!
