Venetian duck ragù — duck legs slow-braised with cinnamon, red wine and tomato until meltingly tender, shredded back into the sauce and tossed through paccheri. A rich, special Italian classic.
- 1 tbls Olive Oil
- 4 Duck Legs
- 2 finely chopped Onions
- 2 cloves minced Garlic
- 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
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
Video
Preparation
- Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the duck legs and brown on all sides for about 10 minutes, then remove to a plate and set aside. Add the onions to the pan and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1 minute, then stir in the cinnamon and flour and cook for a further minute. Return the duck to the pan, add the wine, tomatoes, stock, herbs, sugar and seasoning. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 2 hours, stirring every now and then.
- Carefully lift the duck legs out of the sauce onto a plate — they will be very tender, so try not to lose any meat. Pull off and discard the fat, shred the meat with 2 forks, and discard the bones. Add the meat back to the sauce with the milk and simmer, uncovered, for a further 10–15 minutes while you cook the pasta.
- Cook the pasta following the pack instructions, then drain, reserving a cup of the pasta water, and add the pasta to the ragù. Stir to coat all the pasta in the sauce and cook for 1 minute more, adding a splash of cooking liquid if it looks dry. Serve with grated Parmesan, if you like.
