Venetian Duck Ragu with Bigoli Pasta – The Pasta Venture

Take pleasure in this genuine Venetian duck ragu recipe from my house in Veneto. This can be a duck ragu brimming with wealthy flavors that pairs splendidly with various kinds of pasta. It is a superb dish for batch cooking for household gatherings and particular events. Buon appetito!

Historical past

Duck ragu with bigoli is a conventional dish right here in Veneto the place I dwell. In truth, when you go to the area you’re certain to seek out it in lots of eating places. It’s also usually cooked by the Venetians on holidays or feast days.

Bigoli seems like a really thick spaghetti and is usually eaten with numerous fat-rich sauces; probably the most well-known bigoli recipe is with duck ragu. Previously, the normal recipe for this dish concerned cooking the pasta in a fatty broth through which a younger duck had been boiled. 

The Venetians then made a sauce with flavored butter and the offal of the duck, which they ate with the bigoli. The duck itself was eaten after.

A bigoli with duck ragu pageant!

This duck pasta dish was once historically cooked in September and October in the course of the looking season. Even as we speak, within the small city of Zane close to Vicenza, a ‘bigoli with duck’ pageant is held on the primary Sunday of October.  

On the feast, bigoli is first served with a duck meat sauce after which the duck is served individually. In step with custom, in addition they prepare dinner the pasta within the duck broth, reasonably than in water.  I’ve by no means tried it this fashion however, apparently, this makes the entire dish quite a bit tastier.

These days many individuals use floor duck meat to make a sauce similar to regular meat ragu, however often with out tomatoes. That recipe is, in fact, extraordinarily lean and clearly more healthy!

Nevertheless, to be sincere I really feel it’s dishonest a bit and doesn’t have the identical taste as different strategies of creating duck ragu.

Elements

• Duck: I used two duck legs and two duck thighs. You should purchase these individually pre-prepared or prep an entire duck, which is a bit more work however will prevent cash. It is also greatest to make use of the bone-in duck thighs because the duck bones will add a number of richness to the ragu.
• Bigoli Pasta: Bigoli is a often recent pasta, largely eaten in Veneto. It seems like very thick spaghetti and is about 3-4mm in diameter. If you cannot supply bigoli, you possibly can substitute it with spaghettoni or spaghetti.
• Further Virgin Olive Oil: Nevertheless, it does not should be very costly or cold-pressed for the reason that oil shall be heated at a excessive temperature to sear the duck.
• Celery, Onion, Carrots, and Garlic: Collectively referred to as ‘soffritto’ in Italian cooking, these elements kind the foundational taste base. It is essential to cut these finely to assist them seamlessly combine into the sauce.
• White Wine: Use a dry white wine to raised stability the richness of the duck. If you wish to keep away from utilizing alcohol, you possibly can omit it.
• Tomato Paste: Provides a wealthy tomato taste to the sauce. Typically you can find tomato paste labeled as tomato focus, relying on the area.
• Hen Broth: Be happy to make use of do-it-yourself, store-bought broth or high quality hen inventory cubes.
• Contemporary Herbs: Use recent herbs over dried herbs. The recent sage, rosemary, and bay leaf will actually assist the duck ragu obtain its genuine and wealthy taste.
• Parmigiano Reggiano: As soon as plated, you possibly can high the duck pasta with some grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano for an additional umami increase.

Knowledgeable Suggestions

Deglaze the Pan: If there are any brown bits after searing the duck, deglaze the pan after you add the wine. Scraping the underside of the pan with a wood or plastic spatula or spoon will carry these flavorful bits, integrating them into the sauce for an enhanced depth of taste.

Attaining the right sauce consistency: Add extra wine or broth in case your sauce turns into overly thick in the course of the gradual prepare dinner. Then, if the sauce is simply too thick after you’ve added the pasta, combine in somewhat of the reserved pasta water. Alternatively, if it is too skinny, simmer till it reduces to your required consistency.

Cooking Al Dente Pasta: Cooking pasta to that superb ‘al dente’ is easy when you observe these steps.

1) First, deliver a big pot of water to a boil. When it is boiling, season the water nicely with salt and look forward to it to return to a rolling boil.

2) Add your pasta and guarantee to offer it a very good stir periodically. This stops the pasta from sticking collectively and ensures it cooks evenly.

3) Then, 1-2 minutes earlier than the pasta bundle suggests it is al dente time, begin tasting the pasta in 45-60 second intervals till it is prepared.

Observe this technique and you should have a foolproof manner of getting al dente pasta each time.

Step by Step Directions

1) Warmth oil in a sturdy pot or deep frying pan. Season duck with salt and pepper. Place them pores and skin aspect down within the pot and sear till browned and crisp. Flip to brown on the opposite aspect.

2) Switch the duck to a deep pot or Dutch oven. Then drain all however about 1 tablespoon of the fats from the pan.

3) On a medium-low warmth, add celery, onion, and carrot to the pan. Stir sometimes till softened, which often takes round 10 minutes. Combine in garlic and prepare dinner for an extra minute.

4) Pour in wine, set warmth to excessive, and let it scale back by half.

5) Add broth, tomato paste, sage, rosemary, and bay leaf. Combine nicely and produce the sauce to a boil.

6) Pour the sauce into the pot with the duck. Cowl and let simmer till meat is tender, round 1.5 to 2 hours.

Word: If sauce thickens an excessive amount of, add wine or broth as wanted.

7) As soon as achieved, take away the duck and set it apart. Skim off extra fats from the sauce. If the sauce is simply too skinny, simmer it till it reaches your required consistency.

8) When the duck has cooled sufficient to be shredded, discard its pores and skin. Detach meat from bones and shred or minimize it into small items.

9) Add the meat again to the sauce and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Take away the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper as wanted.

10) For serving, boil a pot of water. Add salt then the pasta and prepare dinner till al dente as per bundle directions (or 6-8 minutes if do-it-yourself bigoli). Earlier than draining, put aside a cup of pasta water.

11) Toss the cooked pasta with the duck ragù. If wanted, add some pasta water to regulate consistency.

12) Serve with further duck ragù on high, garnished with Parmigiano Reggiano.

Storage and Leftovers

To retailer: Permit the duck ragu and pasta to chill, then switch it into an hermetic container. It’s going to keep good high quality within the fridge for as much as 3 days. You too can retailer the duck ragu individually for as much as 3 days within the fridge or within the freezer for 3 months.

To reheat: Place the duck ragu pasta right into a microwave-safe dish, cowl with a lid or plastic wrap and reheat till sizzling all through.

FAQs

Extra Recipes You Could Like

My Italian hubby who has lived in Veneto for greater than 30 years, instructed me it was the most effective bigoli with duck he’d ever eaten, and he is eaten it many, many occasions earlier than! So, I hope you benefit from the recipe too! Should you love duck and pasta, try a few of my different recipes:

Should you make this duck ragu pasta recipe, I’d love to listen to the way it seems and when you preferred it. Please go away a remark right here on the weblog or on The Pasta Venture Fb web page.

Wanting ahead to listening to from you!

Buon appetito!  

(This recipe put up was first revealed in 2017, however has been up to date)

Venetian Duck Ragu with Bigoli Pasta

Jacqueline Debono

Take pleasure in this genuine Venetian duck ragu recipe from my house in Veneto. This can be a duck ragu brimming with wealthy flavors that pairs splendidly with various kinds of pasta.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Prepare dinner Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes minutes

Complete Time 2 hours hrs 45 minutes minutes

Course Important Course

Delicacies Italian, Northern Italy, Veneto

Servings 6

Energy 917 kcal

Elements 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1 duck minimize into quarters or duck items (I used 2 legs and a breast)
• 2 celery stalks finely chopped
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 2 carrots finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 cup hen broth I used 1 inventory dice
• 3 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon recent sage chopped
• 1 tablespoon recent rosemary chopped
• 1 recent bay leaf
• 3-4 tablespoon further virgin olive oil
• 1.1 lbs pasta recent bigoli or thick spaghetti
• parmigiano reggiano for serving
• salt for pasta, to season duck and to style
• black pepper to season duck and to style

Directions 

• Warmth oil in a sturdy pot or deep frying pan. Season duck with salt and pepper. Place them pores and skin aspect down within the pot and sear till browned and crisp. Flip to brown on the opposite aspect.

• Switch the duck to a deep pot or Dutch oven. Then drain all however about 1 tablespoon of the fats from the pan.

• On a medium-low warmth, add celery, onion, and carrot to the pan. Stir sometimes till softened, which often takes round 10 minutes. Combine in garlic and prepare dinner for an extra minute.

• Pour in wine, set warmth to excessive, and let it scale back by half.

• Add broth, tomato focus, sage, rosemary, and bay leaf. Combine nicely and produce the sauce to a boil.

• Pour the sauce into the pot with the duck. Cowl and let simmer till meat is tender, round 1.5 to 2 hours. If sauce thickens an excessive amount of, add wine or broth as wanted.

• As soon as achieved, take away the duck and set it apart. Skim off extra fats from the sauce. If the sauce is simply too skinny, simmer it till it reaches your required consistency.

• When the duck has cooled sufficient to be shredded, discard its pores and skin. Detach meat from bones and shred or minimize it into small items.

• Add the meat again to the sauce and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Take away the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper as wanted.

• For serving, boil a pot of water. Add salt then the pasta and prepare dinner till al dente as per bundle directions (or 6-8 minutes if do-it-yourself bigoli). Earlier than draining, put aside a cup of pasta water.

• Toss the cooked pasta with the duck ragù. If wanted, add some pasta water to regulate consistency.

• Serve with further duck ragù on high, garnished with Parmigiano Reggiano.

Notes

• Storage: Permit the duck ragu and pasta to chill earlier than inserting it inside an hermetic container. It’s going to then hold within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
• skinny the ragu: In case your ragu is simply too thick, add a little bit of broth or pasta water to attain your required consistency.
• thicken the ragu: If the ragu feels too skinny, simmer it uncovered on medium warmth till it reaches your most popular thickness. The sauce may even naturally thicken barely upon including the pasta because of the starch.

Vitamin

Energy: 917kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 27gFats: 59gSaturated Fats: 18gPolyunsaturated Fats: 8gMonounsaturated Fats: 29gLdl cholesterol: 98mgSodium: 312mgPotassium: 654mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3750IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 5mg

Key phrase duck pasta, duck ragu, duck ragu with pasta, Venetian duck ragu

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