Preparation:

Start by wrapping the cotechino tightly with aluminium foil. Perforate the skin in various points, through the aluminium foil, using cocktail sticks, to allow excess fat to ooze out during cooking and to prevent the skin from breaking. Place the cotechino horizontally in a sufficiently large pan, cover completely with cold water, and cook over a medium-low heat, with the lid on, for at least 1 and a half hours from the moment the water starts to boil. If you use a pre-cooked cotechino, you can skip the previous points and simply heat it in boiling water for a few minutes to make it easier to remove the skin. Remove the skin and cut it first into 1/2 cm slices and then into cubes. Wash and chop the celery, onion and carrot. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan, then add the whole chilli pepper, the skinned clove of garlic (whole), and the rosemary. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring now and then, add the diced cotechino, increase the heat, and continue cooking over a medium-high heat, stirring now and then. After 3 minutes, add the chopped celery, carrot and onion and continue to stir until all the ingredients are nicely browned. Continue cooking for 5 more minutes, then deglaze with the wine and allow to evaporate before adding the tomato passata. Mix well, lower the heat and remove the garlic. Simmer for about 30 minutes, with the lid on. When ready, the ragout should have a thicker consistency. Bring some water to the boil in a large pan, add salt and boil the pasta for 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pasta directly to the pan with the sauce, then sauté over a high heat and mix to a creamy consistency with grated Grana. Add some of the cooking water if necessary and mix again. Remove from the heat and serve your pasta with cotechino ragout piping hot. Any leftover pasta can sprinkled with plenty of cheese, such as scamorza, and baked in the oven at 200 °C for about 10 minutes for a delicious pasta au gratin!

Preparation:

To prepare the venison ragout, start by preparing a marinade. Delicately wash the pieces of venison under running water and place in a large bowl. Add all the spices and flavourings for the marinade (fennel seeds, juniper berries, sage, bay leaves, Rosemary, garlic, 20 g of onion and the cloves), then add 250 ml of red wine, making sure that all the meat is covered well by the marinade. If preferred, you can make a bouquet garni by putting the herbs in a muslin bag so that they do not get lost and can be easily removed at the end of the marinade. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for about 20 hours. Remove the meat from the marinade and shred with a meat grinder. If you do not have a meat grinder, you can cut the venison finely using a sharp knife. Now finely chop the carrot, celery and onion and sauté gently in the amount of oil indicated. Once the vegetables have softened, add the minced meat. Brown over a high heat, stirring frequently, and once it has changed colour completely, deglaze with the red wine. Once the wine has evaporated, add the tomato passata and simmer over a low heat, with the lid on, for about 4 and a half hours, stirring now and then. When the ragout is ready, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water for 9 minutes. Drain the pasta al dente and add to the pan containing the ragout. Sauté for one minute and serve piping hot.

Preparation:

To prepare this dish of cream pasta with courgettes and speck, first cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water. While it is cooking, prepare the sauce. Put the roughly chopped courgettes into a blender, add 2 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil and blend well. Now add the grated cheese, shelled walnuts, a few leaves of fresh basil, and blend to obtain a creamy consistency. Pour some extra virgin olive oil into a frying pan and brown the speck cut into strips. Then add the courgette mixture and heat up for a couple of minutes, adding a ladleful of the pasta cooking water, or more if necessary, and a pinch of salt. Drain the pasta al dente, mix with the courgettes and speck in the pan, and serve.