Venetian Duck Ragu with Bigoli Pasta – The Pasta Challenge

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

Historical past

Duck ragu with bigoli is a standard dish right here in Veneto the place I reside. Actually, when you go to the area you might be sure to seek out it in lots of eating places. Additionally it is typically cooked by the Venetians on holidays or feast days.

Bigoli appears to be like like a really thick spaghetti and is commonly eaten with numerous fat-rich sauces; probably the most well-known bigoli recipe is with duck ragu. Previously, the standard 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 through the searching 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. Consistent with custom, additionally they cook dinner the pasta within the duck broth, moderately than in water.  I’ve by no means tried it this manner however, apparently, this makes the entire dish rather a lot 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 trustworthy I really feel it’s dishonest a bit and doesn’t have the identical taste as different strategies of creating duck ragu.

Substances

• Duck: I used two duck legs and two duck thighs. You should purchase these individually pre-prepared or prep a complete duck, which is a bit more work however will prevent cash. It is also finest to make use of the bone-in duck thighs because the duck bones will add numerous richness to the ragu.
• Bigoli Pasta: Bigoli is a often recent pasta, principally eaten in Veneto. It appears to be like 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.
• Additional Virgin Olive Oil: Nevertheless, it does not should be very costly or cold-pressed because the oil might be heated at a excessive temperature to sear the duck.
• Celery, Onion, Carrots, and Garlic: Collectively generally known as ‘soffritto’ in Italian cooking, these elements kind the foundational taste base. It is necessary to cut these finely to assist them seamlessly combine into the sauce.
• White Wine: Use a dry white wine to higher steadiness 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. Generally you’ll find tomato paste labeled as tomato focus, relying on the area.
• Rooster Broth: Be at liberty to make use of selfmade, store-bought broth or high quality rooster 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 prime the duck pasta with some grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano for an additional umami increase.

Professional 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 picket or plastic spatula or spoon will raise 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 through the gradual cook dinner. Then, if the sauce is just too thick after you have got added the pasta, combine in just a little of the reserved pasta water. However, if it is too skinny, simmer till it reduces to your required consistency.

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

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

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

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

Comply with this technique and you’ll have a foolproof method 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 often till softened, which often takes round 10 minutes. Combine in garlic and cook dinner for a further 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 effectively and convey 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.

Be aware: 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 just 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 cook dinner till al dente as per package deal directions (or 6-8 minutes if selfmade 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 extra duck ragù on prime, 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’ll keep good high quality within the fridge for as much as 3 days. You may as well 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 scorching all through.

FAQs

Extra Recipes You Could Like

My Italian hubby who has lived in Veneto for greater than 30 years, informed me it was the very best 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! In the event you love duck and pasta, take a look at a few of my different recipes:

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

Trying 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

Jacqui

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

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Prepare dinner Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes minutes

Whole Time 2 hours hrs 45 minutes minutes

Course Essential Course

Delicacies Italian, Northern Italy, Veneto

Servings 6

Energy 917 kcal

Substances 

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 rooster 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 often till softened, which often takes round 10 minutes. Combine in garlic and cook dinner for a further 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 effectively and convey 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 just 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 cook dinner till al dente as per package deal directions (or 6-8 minutes if selfmade 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 extra duck ragù on prime, garnished with Parmigiano Reggiano.

Prepare dinner ModeStop your display screen from going darkish

Notes

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

Diet

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

Pin for Later:

If you’re taken with studying the best way to make different selfmade pasta and several types of gnocchi, take a look at my store web page for some nice video on-line programs from my pals in Rome!

Nothing beats studying to make pasta from Italians! Plus when you’re there why not order a duplicate of certainly one of my pasta recipe cookbooks or checkout some advisable pasta making instruments?