Secondo / Italian main course

Neapolitan-Style Rabbit with Tomato, Olives and Capers

Name: Neapolitan-Style Rabbit with Tomato, Olives and Capers
Prep time: 85 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1.2 kg / 2 lb 10 oz Rabbit, cut into serving pieces; 8 g / 1 1/2 tsp, plus more to adjust Fine sea salt plus more to adjust; 2 g / 1 tsp Black pepper; 60 ml / 1/4 cup Extra-virgin olive oil; 120 g / 4 1/4 oz Yellow onion, finely diced; 70 g / 2 1/2 oz Celery, finely diced; 80 g / 2 3/4 oz Carrot, finely diced; 12 g / 3 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced; 150 ml / 2/3 cup Dry white wine; 400 g / 14 oz Crushed tomatoes or passata; 250 g / 9 oz Cherry tomatoes, halved; 100 g / 3 1/2 oz Black olives, preferably Gaeta-style, pitted; 25 g / 1 oz Capers, rinsed and drained; 2 leaves Bay leaves; 2 g / 1 tsp Dried oregano; 1 g / 1/4 tsp Red pepper flakes; 120 ml / 1/2 cup Warm water or light stock, only if needed; 10 g / 1/3 oz Fresh parsley, chopped; 5 g / 1/6 oz Extra parsley; 2 g / 1 tsp Lemon zest; 10 ml / 2 tsp Extra-virgin olive oil

A rustic Campanian-style braise: rabbit browned in extra-virgin olive oil, gently simmered with white wine, tomato, black olives, capers, garlic, oregano and parsley until tender and glossy.

Prep85 minTotal85 min 4 servingsEasyAbout 520 kcal per serving

Recipe video

Watch on YouTube

Method

Pat the rabbit pieces very dry with paper towels. Season all sides with salt and pepper, then rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.

Dice the onion, celery and carrot finely. Slice the garlic, halve the cherry tomatoes, rinse the capers and pit the olives if needed.

Heat the olive oil in a wide heavy pan over medium-high heat. Brown the rabbit in batches for 4–5 minutes per side, then transfer it to a plate.

Lower the heat to medium. Add onion, celery and carrot to the same pan and cook for 6 minutes, scraping the browned bits. Add garlic, bay leaves, oregano and red pepper flakes for 1 minute.

Return the rabbit to the pan. Pour in the white wine, scrape the base well, and let the wine reduce for 3–4 minutes until the sharp alcohol aroma softens.

Add crushed tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. Stir gently around the rabbit, bring to a quiet simmer, and add a small splash of warm water or stock only if the sauce looks too thick.

Cover and cook on low heat for 35 minutes. Turn the rabbit pieces once halfway through so they cook evenly without breaking.

Add olives and capers. Continue cooking uncovered for 15–20 minutes, until the sauce is glossy and the rabbit is tender.

Check doneness: the meat should pull easily from the bone and reach 74°C / 165°F at the thickest part. Taste the sauce and adjust salt only after the olives and capers have seasoned it.

Turn off the heat and rest the rabbit in the sauce for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley so the herbs stay fresh.

Serve hot with plenty of sauce, a drizzle of olive oil, extra parsley and optional lemon zest. Offer crusty bread, roasted potatoes or pasta on the side.

Chef notes

Serve in a shallow warm platter with the tomato-olive sauce spooned over the rabbit, finished with parsley, lemon zest and a thin thread of extra-virgin olive oil.

Do not boil hard; a gentle simmer keeps rabbit tender. Rinse capers before adding. Add salt carefully because olives and capers are already savory. Let the dish rest before serving so the sauce settles around the meat.