Venetian Duck Ragu

Ingredients

• 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

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan over medium heat. Add the duck legs and brown them all over for about 10 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
2. Reduce the heat slightly and add the finely chopped onions to the same pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the ground cinnamon and flour and cook for 1 minute.
3. Return the duck legs to the pan. Pour in the red wine and let it bubble briefly, then add the chopped tomatoes, crumbled stock cube, rosemary, bay leaves and sugar. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook over low heat for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. Carefully lift the duck legs out of the sauce. Remove and discard the skin and excess fat, then shred the meat from the bones using two forks. Return the meat to the pan, add the milk and simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes until the sauce is rich and silky.
5. Meanwhile, cook the paccheri in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente, according to the packet instructions. Reserve some of the cooking water, then drain.
6. Add the pasta to the ragu and toss gently to coat. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Serve hot with grated Parmesan, if desired.

instructions_source: editorial-classic