Oxtail Pašticada Stuffed Pasta Recipe – Croatian-Style Ravioli with Truffle & Paprika Emulsion

Oxtail Pašticada Stuffed Pasta Recipe

This oxtail pasticada stuffed pasta recipe transforms a traditional Croatian braised beef dish into an elegant filled pasta. Slow-cooked oxtail is enriched with prunes, wine, and aromatics, then encased in delicate handmade pasta and finished with paprika emulsion and truffle gelée. Featured on CombiNation, this dish combines Caribbean influences with Croatian culinary tradition, resulting in a deeply flavorful, refined plate.

The Inspiration

Inspired by Croatia’s iconic pasticada—a slow-braised beef dish often served with gnocchi—and Barbados’ bold, spice-forward culinary approach, this recipe elevates comfort food into a fine dining experience. The long braise develops rich, layered flavors, while prunes and wine add sweetness and acidity. The addition of truffle, paprika emulsion, and precise plating techniques reflects Craig Wong’s fusion philosophy: combining heritage dishes with modern execution to create something both familiar and elevated.

Ingredients

Pasta

• 18 ounces (500 g) all-purpose flour
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
• Salt
• Beaten egg, for brushing
• 4 tablespoons (60 ml) cold butter

Pašticada Filling

• ¼ cup (60 ml) cooking oil, divided
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 strips bacon, cut into very small cubes
• 1 ½ cups (180 ml) homemade beef stock, plus more as needed
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste
• ½ cup (120 ml) red wine
• 16 prunes
• ½ cup (120 ml) sweet dessert wine (prosek or other)
• 5 large (at least 2-inch/5 cm thick) pieces oxtail
• Salt and pepper
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ bunch parsley, chopped
• ½ lemon, zest and juice
• 1 x 2 ½ ounce (70 g) fresh truffle, thin slice, reserve some for grating on plate

Paprika Emulsion

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sweet paprika
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, grated on rasp
• 1 cup (240 ml) grapeseed oil
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) tomato paste

For the plate

• Chopped chives, reserved truffle, paprika emulsion, truffle gelee

Method

For the Pasta Dough

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, eggs, salt, and olive oil and pulse to combine.
• Transfer to a work surface and knead for 2-3 minutes, until elastic and tacky.
• Make a ball and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one hour to relax.

For the Pašticada Filling

• Preheat oven to 275 F (135 C).
• In a large Dutch oven over medium high heat, cook the bacon until crispy, remove the bacon, but leave the fat and return the pan to the heat.
• Add half the cooking oil, garlic, and onions for 1-2 minutes until the onions are translucent.
• Add the carrots and the crispy bacon and sauté until lightly browned.
• Stir in the tomato paste and continue to cook for one minute.
• Deglaze with red wine, scraping up any stuck bits from the pan, the add the beef broth and prunes. Bring to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, heat second half of the vegetable oil in a skillet over high heat.
• Season the oxtail with salt and pepper, transfer to skillet and sear well on all sides.
• When ready, remove the oxtail and add the sweet cooking wine to deglaze. Scrape up all the brown bits and transfer the oxtail pieces, cooking wine, and brown bits into the Dutch oven with the braising liquid.
• Use a square of cheesecloth to make a sachet (tied pouch) of clove and bay leaf. Add to the oxtail mixture.
• Cover and braise for 5 hours or until tender.
• Remove the oxtail and discard the sachet. Lightly shred meat and set aside, discarding all the bones and cartilage.
• Strain the vegetables from the braising liquid, reserving both separately.
• Transfer the vegetables to a blender and blend until smooth.
• Add the pureed veggies and ½ cup (120 ml) of the braising liquid (reserve the rest for truffle garnish) to the shredded meat.
• Fold the lemon and parsley into the mixture to finish the pasta filling.
• Refrigerate until needed.
• Skim the fat from the reserved braising liquid bring to a boil and reduce if thin) and, if needed, strain again to make a clean sauce.
• Make the truffle garnish by laying thin slices of truffle onto a small tray in an even layer. Carefully pour over the strained a reduced braising liquid to fill the bottom of the pan at a depth of about 1/8 -inch (2-3 mm).
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until the extracted gelatin in the liquid firms up and sets to make a truffle gelee.

To stuff the pasta

• Set up a pasta roller, lightly dust the rested pasta dough with flour, and roll out the dough to the thinnest setting making a single long noodle.
• Cut pasta sheet in half.
• Place a 2 ½ -inch (6 cm) ring mold onto a pasta sheet. Spoon the filling into ring mold to a depth of ¾ inch (2 cm) and press down to compact. Repeat 3 more times to make four portions.
• Remove ring mold and brush egg around the circle of meat.
• Place the second sheet of pasta over top and press around the circles to form deep puck-shaped raviolis with straight sides and defined corners at the top. Cut the pucks out with a 2.75 inch (7 cm) ring mold, leaving very little extra past outside the shape of the puck.
• Place finished raviolis onto a lined sheet tray.

For the paprika emulsion

• In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, garlic, paprika, tomato paste, and lemon juice.
• Slowly whisk in grapeseed oil until emulsion forms. Season with salt.
• Transfer to a squeeze bottle and reserve for plating.

To finish

• In a shallow pan, boil ½-inch (1.25 cm) salted water.
• Use continuous basting (hold the handle of the pan with one hand and spoon boiling water over the pasta with the other) to gently cook raviolis, for 3-4 minutes, until the pasta is almost cooked through.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a second pan. When ready, transfer the par-cooked ravioli to the butter and repeat basting for another 2-3 minutes, until finished.
• Lay out chopped chives on a small plate. Transfer warm ravioli to the plate, allowing the chives to cling to the bottom.
• Transfer the ravioli to the middle left side of a white plate. Use a rasp to make a small mound of truffle shavings to the right of the ravioli.
• Use the squeeze bottle to make three dots of the paprika emulsion around the ravioli and truffle.
• Use the 2.5 inch (6 cm) cookie cutter to cut a ring from the gelled truffle-sauce.
• At the moment of presentation, carefully transfer the gelee ring (with truffle slices) to the top of the ravioli allow the heat of the pasta to melt the sauce, and exposing the sliced truffles.

Serving Suggestions

This oxtail pasticada stuffed pasta recipe is best suited for fine dining or special occasions where time and attention to detail can be fully appreciated. Pair it with a medium- to full-bodied red wine such as a Croatian Plavac Mali or a rich Cabernet Sauvignon to complement the depth of the braised oxtail. A simple side of lightly dressed greens can help balance the richness of the dish.

Final Thoughts

This dish exemplifies how traditional recipes can be reimagined through technique and presentation. The slow-braised oxtail delivers deep, comforting flavors, while the handmade pasta and refined plating elevate it into a modern culinary experience. Inspired by CombiNation, this oxtail pasticada stuffed pasta bridges Croatian heritage and contemporary fusion cuisine, resulting in a dish that is both luxurious and deeply satisfying.