Having lived in Italy for several years, I have had the opportunity to visit many other European countries. As much as I enjoyed visiting new places, my heart belongs to Italy. One of my favorite things about Italy is that every region has its own unique cuisine. Some traditional Italian dishes can be found across Italy in various forms, but there are also unique dishes found only in each region.
Venice is one of our favorite places to visit, and in fact, I have booked a few days in Venice on our upcoming trip to Italy in October to harvest our olives. The food in Venice is very special, and I decided to start experimenting with a few dishes before we head there.
This special pasta is a Venetian specialty, made with duck legs, and the tomato sauce is flavored with cinnamon, orange, and white wine. Pappardelle is a typical pasta to serve with this ragu, but any pasta shape would work just fine. If you are making your own pappardelle, simply roll out your pasta dough thinly, then cut it into one-inch thick strips.
Ingredients
- 2 Large or 4 Small Duck Legs
- Salt & Pepper
- 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Carrot Finely Diced
- 1 Small Onion Finely Diced
- 2 Celery Sticks Finely Diced
- 4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
- Zest From 1/2 Medium Orange
- Juice From 1/2 Medium Orange
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 2/3 Cup White Wine
- 1 (15 Ounce) Jar Tomato Passata
- 2 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 3 Cups Chicken Stock
- 4 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Parsley Plus Extra For Serving
- 1 Pound Pappardelle Pasta
- Grated Parmesan Cheese To Serve
Instructions
- Dry the duck legs with paper towels, then season well with salt and pepper.
- Rub the legs with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.
- In a large pan, heat the olive oil, then sear the legs over medium high heat, until well browned on each side about 8 minutes per side.
- Set the legs aside on a plate.
- Add the carrot, onion, and celery to the pan and sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic, orange zest, bay leaf, and remaining cinnamon, and cook a minute or so until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the wine and return the duck legs to the pan and cook the wine over medium high heat until reduced by half.
- Add the orange juice, tomato passata, paste, parsley, and stock and bring to boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook partly covered with a lid for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the meat starts to fall off the bones.
- Remove the legs and cool a few minutes, then shred the meat off the bones with a fork.
- Roughly chop, then return the meat to the sauce and keep the sauce warm.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, then cook the pasta until it is “al dente”.
- Drain the pasta and return to the pasta pot.
- Scoop a couple of ladles of the sauce over the pasta and toss.
- Serve the pasta in individual bowls with a scoop of sauce on top, then sprinkle with some of the finely chopped parsley.
- Serve the pasta, passing the grated cheese at the table.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 435Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 356mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 2gSugar: 11gProtein: 25g