Dinner

Venetian Duck Ragu

Name: Venetian Duck Ragu
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 145 min
Total time: 165 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 tbls olive oil; 4 duck legs; 2 onions, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 2 tsp plain flour; 250ml red wine; 800g chopped tomatoes; 1 chicken stock cube; 3 sprigs rosemary; 2 bay leaves; 1 tsp sugar; 2 tbs milk; 600g paccheri pasta; Parmesan cheese, grated, Grated; seasoning, to taste

Slow-braised duck leg ragu with red wine, tomatoes, rosemary and bay, tossed with paccheri pasta and finished with Parmesan.

2 hr 45 min
750 kcal
Italian
Pasta

Mellowpan tip: Makes 6 servings. Plan the extras as tomorrow’s lunch.

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Ingredients

For 6 servings

Steps

Step 1:
Heat the oil in a large pan.
Step 2:
Add the duck legs and brown on all sides for about 10 minutes.
10 min
Step 3:
Remove the duck to a plate and set aside.
Step 4:
Add the onions to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, until softened.
5 min
Step 5:
Add the garlic and cook for 1 further minute.
Step 6:
Stir in the cinnamon and flour and cook for 1 further minute.
Step 7:
Return the duck to the pan.
Step 8:
Add the wine, tomatoes, stock cube, rosemary, bay leaves, sugar and seasoning.
Step 9:
Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and cover with a lid.
Step 10:
Cook for 2 hours, stirring every now and then.
2 h
Step 11:
Carefully lift the duck legs out of the sauce and place them on a plate.
Step 12:
Pull off and discard the fat.
Step 13:
Shred the meat with 2 forks and discard the bones.
Step 14:
Add the shredded duck back to the sauce with the milk.
Step 15:
Simmer uncovered for a further 10 to 15 minutes while cooking the pasta.
10–15 min
Step 16:
Cook the pasta following the pack instructions.
Step 17:
Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the pasta water.
Step 18:
Add the pasta to the ragu and stir to coat it in the sauce.
Step 19:
Cook for 1 minute more, adding a splash of cooking liquid if the ragu looks dry.
1 min
Step 20:
Serve with grated Parmesan, if desired.