Fresh spaghetti with squab, tomato & Greco Bianco white wine ragù

(Spaghetti con sugo di piccioni)

Serves 6

100 ml (3½ fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

1 small brown onion, diced

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

fine sea salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3 medium-sized whole squabs

100 ml (3½ fl oz) Greco Bianco white wine or other dry southern Italian white wine

500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) good-quality tomato passata (puréed tomatoes)

500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) chicken broth

1 small bay leaf

1 rosemary sprig

600 g (1 lb 5 oz) fresh egg pasta dough, cut into spaghetti

freshly grated pecorino cheese, to serve

Heat half of the extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Season with the sea salt and black pepper and sauté until they are nicely browned. Set aside. In a separate saucepan, heat the remaining extra virgin olive oil and brown the whole squabs. Add the squabs to the pan with the onion and garlic, raise the heat, pour in the white wine and continue to cook until the wine has completely evaporated. Add the tomato passata, chicken broth, bay leaf and rosemary. Cook the sauce for up to 2 hours or until the meat is falling off the carcasses. When fully cooked, take the squabs from the sauce and let them cool down. Remove the meat from the bone and return the meat to the sauce.

For the pasta, simply bring abundant salted water to the boil and cook the pasta. When cooked, drain the pasta and stir through the sauce. Serve hot with lots of freshly grated pecorino cheese.