Pappardelle with anatra sauce

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 3 duck legs
• 500 g pasta (pappardelle), homemade or from the refrigerated section
• 1 large onion(s)
• 1 carrot(s)
• 1 stalk(s) celery
• 1 large garlic clove(s)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp powdered sugar
• 250 ml red wine, dry
• 250 ml duck stock
• 600 g tomatoes, chunky, from the can
• 6 sage leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig(s) of thyme
• olive oil
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• Salt
• 3 tbsp, heaped flat-leaf parsley
• Parmesan

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours

Pappardelle with duck ragout

Remove the skin from the duck legs, debone them, trim them, and cut them into fine cubes. It’s best to do this the day before so that the stock can be prepared from the trimmings and bones. Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and finely chop the carrot and garlic clove and chop them very finely. Wash and also finely chop the celery stalk. Now, in a saucepan, remove a piece of the duck skin and then discard it. Add the vegetables, except for the garlic, and sauté everything over very low heat for about half an hour. Then empty the entire contents into a colander. Heat a little olive oil, season the meat with salt and pepper, and fry. Towards the end, add the vegetables from the colander and the garlic. Shortly after, add the tomato paste and powdered sugar and roast for a short time. Deglaze with the wine and bring to a boil. Then add the duck stock, tomatoes, sage leaves, bay leaf, and thyme sprig. Heat everything until light and use a whisk to loosen any browned pieces. Simmer the ragù over low heat for about 1.5 hours. If it becomes too thick, add a little more water. Remove the sage leaves, bay leaf, and thyme sprig and season with salt and pepper. Add the pappardelle, cooked al dente, to the pot and mix everything thoroughly. Divide the ragù among the individual plates and top with freshly grated Parmesan and finely chopped flat-leaf parsley. This dish is intended as a “primo piatto” (first main course). If it is to be served as a standalone main course, simply double the quantity.