Meat Sauce (Hungarian Ragù Paprikash)

Chicken paprikash is a classic Hungarian dish that relies on a serious scoop of paprika for both mild peppery flavour and a vibrant red colour. Here that recipe’s building blocks are reimagined as a ragù, with ground chicken, aromatics and a dollop of sour cream swirled in for richness. Two notes for shopping. If you can find dark meat ground chicken, definitely grab it; dark meat has more fat than white meat, which is welcome in a ragù (traditionally made with pork or beef, both with higher fat content than chicken). And in the spice aisle, seek out Hungarian paprika, which is very bright red and more flavourful than “sweet paprika” or just “paprika” (though either will do in a pinch). The only variety to avoid here is smoked, or Spanish, paprika, which will provide a different flavour profile and a much darker colour to your finished pasta.

4 Tbsp. butter, divided
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb ground chicken
¼ cup Hungarian sweet paprika
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp. sea salt, divided
4 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, divided
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 lb pappardelle or other long, flat pasta
¼ cup sour cream

To Serve:
finely chopped parsley

Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high heat. Cook 1 large onion, finely chopped, stirring often, until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add 1 lb ground chicken, ¼ cup Hungarian sweet paprika, ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes and 1 tsp. sea salt to pot. Cook, stirring and breaking up meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Stir in 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, scraping up any browned bits stuck to bottom of pot. Add one 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp. sea salt and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until ragù is thickened and saucy, 12-14 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar.

Meanwhile, cook 1 lb pappardelle or other long, flat pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup pasta cooking liquid.

Add pasta and remaining 2 Tbsp. butter to ragù. Increase heat to medium and cook, tossing and gradually adding pasta cooking liquid, until ragù is glossy and clings to pasta, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in ¼ cup sour cream. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Divide pasta among shallow bowls; top with finely chopped parsley.