Penne with oxtail and fresh pea ragu (penne con ragu di coda di bue e piselli freschi)

Oxtail on the bone is stewed to tender perfection in this traditional Sicilian dish shared by the Cerrone family. Tomatoes, peas and flat-leaf parsley complement the moist meat and bring aromas reminiscent of a sun-drenched Italian summer.

• serves

  6

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 500 g penne
• chopped flat-leaf parsley and grated parmesan, to serve

Oxtail and fresh pea ragù

• 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 kg oxtail (see Note)
• 2 x 700 ml jars passata (sieved puréed tomatoes)
• 500 g podded or 1 kg unpodded fresh peas (see Note)

Drink match 2007 Cantina Tollo Aldiano Montepulciano ($30).

Instructions

To make ragù, heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic for 4 minutes or until softened. Add oxtail and cook for 3 minutes or until browned. Stir in passata and 250 ml (1 cup) water, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2½ hours. Add peas and cook for a further 30 minutes or until meat is tender.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook pasta until al dente. Add 60ml (¼ cup) pasta water to ragù. Drain pasta, return to pan and stir in ragù. Scatter over parsley and parmesan to serve.

Notes
• Oxtail is available whole from butchers and in pieces from selected supermarkets. Ask your butcher to chop them for you. Lamb neck would also make a delicious substitute.

• You can substitute frozen peas for the fresh.

Photography by Alan Benson.

As seen in Feast magazine, December 2011, Issue 4. For more recipes and articles, pick up a copy of this month's Feast magazine or check out our great subscriptions offers here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.