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Meat, Italy

Duck ragù pappardelle

Duck ragù pappardelle is an Italian pasta dish for 4, ready in 2 hours, medium difficulty, at €3.80 per serving. Duck legs simmer slowly in red wine and tomatoes until the meat falls apart, then get shredded back into the sauce. The key is trimming the fat well and keeping the simmer very low.

Wide fresh pappardelle coated in a red wine and herb duck ragù, a festive dish that's actually simple to pull off.

Duck ragù pappardelle
Total time
2 h
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.80
Calories per person
760 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter

Duck ragù has that particular texture of meat cooked low and slow, it practically falls apart under a fork. Red wine and tomatoes build a deep, slightly bold sauce that clings perfectly to the folds of wide pappardelle. A handful of grated parmesan at the end brings the salt it needs and ties everything together.

This is more of a Sunday dish or something you'd make for guests, the long simmer asks for patience rather than constant attention. Mon Chou suggests it for meals where you want to make an impression without spending the whole day in the kitchen. Keep in mind it's not really a kids' dish, the duck and red wine make it more of an adult plate.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Duck legs 4

Fruits and vegetables

  • Carrot 1
  • Onion 1
  • Celery stalk 1
  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • Thyme 3 sprigs
  • Rosemary 1 sprig

Pantry

  • Red wineoften in the pantry 20 cl
  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Fresh pappardelleoften in the pantry 500 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Parmesan 40 g

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Eggs, Celery

The step by step recipe

  1. Brown the duck legs skin side down in a pot, no added fat needed. 10 min

    The skin releases its own fat, spoon off any excess.

  2. Sauté the diced carrot, onion and celery in that fat, with the garlic. 8 min

    Cook them gently, this is your flavor base.

  3. Deglaze with red wine, add the tomatoes and herbs, put the legs back in and simmer covered. 1 h 15

    Keep it at a very low simmer.

  4. Remove the legs, shred the meat and stir it back into the sauce.

    Remove the bones and cartilage.

  5. Cook the pappardelle in salted water and toss with the ragù and parmesan. 3 min

    Fresh pasta only needs two to three minutes.

Our tips to get it right

  • Use a heavy bottomed pot, it spreads the heat more evenly and keeps the ragù from catching during the 75 minute simmer.
  • If the sauce looks too thin at the end, uncover it for the last ten minutes so it can reduce properly.
  • Save a bit of pasta cooking water, it loosens the ragù up nicely if it feels too thick when you toss everything together.

The variations

  • Swap the duck legs for chicken thighs, the simmer time shortens slightly and the ragù turns out milder.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the duck with button mushrooms and green lentils simmered in the same red wine tomato sauce.
  • For a quicker version, use diced duck breast instead of legs, cutting the simmer time down to about 30 minutes.

What to serve it with

  • A sharp lemony green salad
  • A glass of Italian red wine
  • Crusty bread for the sauce

Storage

The ragù keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, without the pasta. It freezes well for up to 2 months on its own, just thaw and reheat gently before cooking fresh pappardelle to serve with it.

Questions about this dish

Can you make duck ragù ahead of time?

Yes, it's actually better that way, the ragù tastes even richer reheated the next day once the flavors have had time to settle. Make it a day ahead and just cook the fresh pappardelle right before serving.

Can you use dried pappardelle instead of fresh?

Yes, dried pappardelle or tagliatelle work fine, just allow a longer cooking time, around 8 to 10 minutes depending on the brand.

Should you remove the skin from the duck legs before cooking?

No, brown them skin on first, that's what renders the fat you need to cook the vegetables. Only trim the skin and excess fat off once you shred the meat.

Does duck ragù freeze well?

Yes, the ragù on its own freezes well for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Thaw it in the fridge, then reheat gently before mixing in freshly cooked pasta.

How long does it take to make a duck ragù pappardelle?

Count 2 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a duck ragù pappardelle?

About 760 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a duck ragù pappardelle cost?

About €3.80 per serving, or €15.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, eggs, celery. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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