TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Umbricelli al Ragù di PiccioneUmbricelli with Pigeon Ragù
Thick handmade Umbrian umbricelli with pigeon ragù. Pigeon is an everyday ingredient in Umbria’s deeply rooted game-cooking culture. The ragù uses the liver too, delivering intense savor and a distinctive wild flavor that expresses the pleasure of authentic cooking.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- Durum wheat flourFor eggless umbricelli dough400 g
- Whole pigeonsJoint and separate the meat from the offal, including livers2 birds
- Pigeon liversChop and add to the ragù2 pieces
- Red wine200 ml
- OnionFinely chop1 piece
- CarrotFinely chop1 piece
- CeleryFinely chop2 stalks
- Canned whole tomatoes300 g
- Sage, rosemary and bay leaves1 bunch
- Extra virgin olive oilFor searing pigeon; 3 tbsp45 ml
Method
Rest the dough and chop the vegetables
- 1 Rest for 30 minutes.
- 2 Roll by hand into thick strands 4 mm in diameter.
- 3 Knead 400 g durum wheat flour, 1 tsp salt and about 200 ml water into a dough.
- 4 MeanwhileFinely chop the onion, carrot and celery separately.
Ready when
The umbricelli should be shaped and the soffritto vegetables, the aromatic base cooked slowly, finely chopped.
Sear the pigeon
- 1 Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over high heat.
- 2 Sear the jointed pigeon, still on the bone, for 3–4 minutes until golden all over, then remove.
Ready when
The pigeon should be golden on every side.
Caution
Searing all sides thoroughly seals in the flavor.
Cook the soffritto
- 1 Sauté the finely chopped onion, carrot and celery in the same pan over medium heat for 8 minutes.
Ready when
The onion should be translucent and soft.
Return the pigeon and simmer
- 1 MeanwhileBegin bringing a large pot of water to a boil, with 10 g salt per 1 L water.
- 2 Add 300 g whole tomatoes and the herb bundle, cover and simmer over low heat for 70–80 minutes.
- 3 Return the pigeon, add 200 ml red wine and cook off the alcohol over high heat for 3–4 minutes.
Ready when
After 70–80 minutes, the pigeon should be tender.
Shred the meat and add the livers
- 1 Remove the pigeon and take the meat off the bones.
- 2 Add 2 chopped livers to the sauce and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- 3 Shred the pigeon and return it to the ragù.
- 4 Remove the herb bundle.
Ready when
The livers should be cooked through and the shredded meat returned to the ragù.
Caution
Cook the livers for 5 minutes; longer cooking toughens them.
Boil the umbricelli and dress with ragù
- 1 Boil the umbricelli in the prepared salted water.
- 2 Drain and combine with the ragù.
Ready when
The umbricelli should be cooked and dressed with the ragù.
About this dish
In Umbria’s mountains, the hunting season begins in autumn and continues into winter. Wild pigeon, piccione, has long been used as an important source of protein in these uplands. This ragù grew from an Umbrian culture in which agriculture and hunting coexist.
Umbricelli is handmade Umbrian pasta, similar in thickness to pici but known locally by a name with its own identity. It derives from a word meaning umbilical cord, and the motion of rolling the dough under the palms evokes that name.
Wild pigeon ragù is simmered for a long time with red wine, juniper berries and bay leaves. Over time, the meat’s wild character develops depth; this transformation cannot be rushed. Allow at least 3 hours, ideally until the next day.
Bring the full course home next weekend.
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