One Woman's Take on a Local Fave: Arturo's Wild Boar Ragu

Does anyone know how to get boar meat locally? I certainly don't.

This question came to mind when I was trying to replicate my all-time favorite pasta dish from our local eatery, Arturo's. For those of you who don't know me, labeling a dish "my all time favorite" is not a joke. I love eating, cooking and talking about food—all the time. I probably eat something every day and consider it my favorite.

But I think this particular dish is different.

I love Italian food, especially pasta, and don't usually end up eating it in a restaurant very often. But, when Dan Richer bought Arturo's three years ago and started transforming the menu, I started going there more often.

One of the dishes that has stood out over the last few years is the pasta cinghale. Penne is paired with ground wild boar and some mushrooms to create a very delicate, yet flavorful dish. It does not have much of a sauce—just the way I like it. Cinghale means wild boar in Italian. I found that out when I visited Umbria in Italy this past summer. Umbria happens to be famous for wild boar dishes. Lucky me! I ate a lot of wild boar on that trip and it was all very delicious. Once I got back and went back to Arturo's to eat the pasta again, I realized just how good the dish was.

Every time family or friends visit, we take them to our favorite eatery. They all enjoy the food and want to go back anytime they are back in Maplewood. Although I get my fill at the restaurant, I still wanted to replicate the pasta at home. I knew I couldn't possible get the same flavor, as the majority of the cooking at Arturo's is done in a wood-burning oven. Also, since I am quite health conscious, I couldn't see myself adding the required amount of olive oil or cream.

Since I was not able to find wild boar locally, I cooked with ground pork instead. I kept the dish very simple—not too many ingredients. I started with chopped pancetta, added in onion, garlic and shredded carrots. I used beef broth instead of chicken because beef broth has a heavier flavor. I am sure the original pasta dish has cream but I added half and half. The flavor was most probably compromised, so if you want to add cream instead, please do. I happen to have truffle paste in my pantry—I finished the pasta with it. It gives the dish a very pleasant, earthy flavor but if you don't have it, don't worry. It will taste delicious with or without the truffle flavor.

Overall the dish was very good. I still think the original is far superior but this is a good recipe to have on hand when you can't get to Arturo's.

Pork Ragu with Penne

1 pound ground pork

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup pancetta, chopped

½ cup shredded carrots

½ cup white onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups beef broth

½ cup half and half

Salt

½ pound penne, al dente—½ cup spare pasta water

2 tablespoons truffle paste or 1 tablespoon truffle oil

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the pancetta and sauté for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Add the carrots, onions and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Add the pork and separate with the back of a wooden spatula while sautéing the meat on medium high heat about 2-3 minutes. Add the beef broth and cook on medium low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, till a thick sauce is formed. Add salt and half and half. Add the truffle paste or oil. Mix well and add the cooked pasta and pasta water. Check for seasonings and serve.