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1
Soak the oxtails in cold water to cover for 30 minutes.
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2
Drain thoroughly and pat them dry.
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3
Season both sides of the oxtail pieces with salt and pepper.
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4
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pan or Dutch oven over medium heat.
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5
Add as many oxtail pieces as fit without crowding into the pan.
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6
Cook, turning as necessary, until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
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7
If necessary, remove the pieces as they brown to make room in the pan for remaining pieces.
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8
Remove all the oxtail pieces from the pan.
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9
Stir in the onions, carrots, celery, parsley, and garlic, season them lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are wilted, about 4 minutes.
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10
Pour in the wine, bring to a vigorous boil, and cook until the wine is evaporated, about 10 minutes.
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11
Pour in the tomatoes and their liquid.
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12
Bring to a boil, lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
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13
Tuck the oxtails into the sauce and cook until they are very tender (the meat should be practically falling off the bone and the vegetables disintegrated into the sauce), about 3 hours.
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14
As the oxtails cook, add the chicken stock, about 1/2 cup at a time, to keep the level of the liquid more or less steady during cooking.
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15
Cool the oxtails in the cooking liquid to room temperature.
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16
Skim the excess fat from the sauce.
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17
Remove all meat from the bones, shred it coarsely, and return it to the sauce.
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18
(You may serve the oxtails whole, if you prefer.)
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19
The pasta sauce can be prepared and refrigerated up to 3 days in advance.
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20
Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.
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21
Stir the rigatoni into the boiling water.
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22
Return to a boil, stirring frequently.
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23
Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, 10 to 11 minutes.
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24
While the pasta is cooking, return the oxtail sauce to the pan if necessary and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
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25
Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and pour in about half the sauce.
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26
Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, stirring gently to coat the pasta with sauce.
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27
Remove the pot from the heat, toss in the cheese if using, and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary.
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28
Spoon the pasta into warm bowls or a warm platter and ladle the remaining sauce over the top.
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29
Serve immediately.
