Garganelli with Gizzards: Gargati coi Durei

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound chicken gizzards
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 fresh sage leaf
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound fresh egg pasta

Directions

Slice the gizzards thinly, about 1/4-inch thick, and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Pat dry.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the scallions and, using a wooden spoon, push the scallions through the oil and around the bottom of the pan to infuse the scallion flavor through the oil. Add the chicken gizzards, and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the red wine and continue cooking until the wine reduces by half. Add the rosemary, sage and bay leaf. Cover the pan and let simmer gently, about 5 minutes.

In the meantime, bring 6 quarts water to a rolling boil in a pasta pot. Add 2 tablespoons of salt.

Remove the lid from the saucepan and begin adding the vegetable stock bit by bit so that the pan is never dry, until all the stock is used. Add the tomato paste, season with salt and pepper, and let simmer 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat.

Drop the fresh pasta into the pasta pot and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and pour into a bowl large enough to hold all the pasta and the sauce. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over the pasta and toss so that the noodles are slightly coated. Add the gizzard ragu, being certain to remove the bay and sage leaves, and serve immediately.