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reprinted from the Compost NewsLetter

Garganelli con ragu di fagiano

Pasta tubes with pheasant ragu

To make the ragu:
1 pheasant, about 2 pounds
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 small carrot, finely diced
3 tablespoons chopped basil
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
1 cup red wine
1 29 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Bone the pheasant, removing the skin from the breasts and legs. Bone the legs, carefully removing the tendons from the thigh. Grind the pheasant meat using a grinding plate with large holes or mince the meat by hand using a large chef's knife. Put the meat, the diced vegetables and the chopped herbs into a heavy 4 quart pot, then cook over medium heat until the meat is lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Pour in the wine and continue cooking until it is reduced by half. Remove the seeds from the tomatoes, then roughly chop them. When the wine has reduced, add the tomatoes to the pot along with their juice and the tomato paste. When the ragu has come to a boil turn the flame down and simmer, uncovered, very slowly for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, skimming the fat from the surface from time to time. Should the ragu become too dry before the end of the cooking period, add a little water to adjust the consistency. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then set aside until ready to use.

To make the garganelli:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup semolina flour
3 whole eggs

Mix the all purpose and semolina flour together in a bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour, break in the eggs and begin mixing the eggs and flour together. When the dough comes together in a mass, knead it until the texture is smooth and silky. Roll the dough with a pasta machine in progressively thinner settings until the thinnest setting is reached. Lightly flour the pasta sheet and fold it over onto itself three or four times. Cut the dough into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch squares.

Have on hand a 1/4 inch round dowel 6 or 7 inches long and a large comb with teeth at least 1 1/2 inches long. Place the comb on a table with the teeth facing away from you. Place a pasta square on the comb with one corner pointing toward you. Place the dowel on the square and parallel to the comb. Curl the corner of the pasta square around the dowel and with gentle pressure roll the pasta around the dowel and off the comb making a tube with a lightly ridged surface. Tap the garganelli off the dowel onto a floured sheet pan and continue with the rest of the pasta squares in the same manner.

The garganelli can be cooked immediately or allowed to dry in the open air for a day, in which case they will keep indefinitely.

To assemble the dish:
Cook the garganelli in plenty of salted, boiling water. The time will depend on whether the pasta is fresh (as little as one minute) or dry (up to 7 or 8 minutes). In the meantime heat the ragu and adjust the seasoning. When the pasta is cooked add it to the ragu, mix well and spoon into a serving dish. Pass freshly grated parmesan cheese on the side.

Serves 6.

Symbolic meanings of the ingredients:
 • pheasant: one of the most sexually active birds; sacred to Venus
 • onion: a plant of the Moon suitable for spells to affect the emotions; also a blood purifier
 • celery: another Lunar plant
 • carrot: a phallic-shaped plant of attraction (orange color)
 • basil: to attract love and good fortune
 • rosemary: a plant of the Sun, used for protection, concentration and memory
 • red wine: the color red for life energy, the intoxicant for the God of ecstasy
 • tomatoes: a plant of Venus, for sexual potency and love energy
 • flour: for the Earth Goddess
 • eggs: symbols of life

Magickal uses for the dish:
Obviously, with all the sexual connotations of its ingredients, this would be a perfect dish to serve a lover to atteract and deepen a happy sexual relationship. But beware! The eggs and flour are symbols of fruitfulness, so this relationship may be a productive one. If you aren't interested in having a child, take precautions, and have the intent that the productivity in the relationship express itself in other ways.

This recipe states "serves six"--this is assuming it's used as the pasta course in a big multi-course dinner. For Magickal purposes, I'd use the garganelli as a main dish, keeping it for two people, and serving it with a simple salad of lettuce (the Moon), tomatoes (Venus), onions (the Moon), cucumber (phallic plant, the Moon again), dressed with olive oil (Venus) dressing. Follow up with a home-baked apple pie spiced with cardamom, and you have the love-feast of the Gods......vw

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