Duck Ragù with Pappardelle

Slow-cooked and warming, my duck ragù with silky pappardelle pasta is a stand-out dish if ever there was one. The fragrant sauce clings to the pasta and the whole thing feels so luxurious and decadent.

Duck Ragù is widely eaten in Central Italy in Tuscany and Umbria where game and poultry was more accessible than beef. In the age-old tradition of what is commonly accepted as 'ragù', the sauce is cooked low and slow until the meat is fall-apart tender and the sauce thick and rich — a little goes a long way.

Commonly it's eaten with a ribboned pasta like pappardelle, fettuccine or tagliatelle, but any pasta works to be honest. I'll often eat mine with a ridged penne or rigatoni to capture all that delicious sauce.

This recipe is part of my curated Italian Collection and also my Italian Comfort Food page, where you'll find many more of my favourite Italian dishes.

What's Ahead?

What is Duck ragù?

Ragù means 'sauce' in Italian, but we generally imply slow-cooked sauces when we refer to it. There are many varieties of ragù in Italy and many techniques and regional specialities throughout the country. 'Ragù di Anatra' (duck ragù) is commonly eaten in the central regions of Tuscany and Umbria, where the game birds are plentiful.

I first sampled duck ragù in the lovely town of Macerata in the Central Marche region, over 15 years ago and have been making one version or another ever since. There are many varieties of the dish, some more tomato heavy than others. My tried and tested version is more of a Northern-style ragù which, while it contains tomato, isn't reliant on them for all the flavour. Instead the sauce is a combination of tomato, red wine, and chicken stock—the results are bold without the dominant tang or sweetness of a tomato-rich sauce.

Why You'll Love it

• It's simple to make - the ragù is really easy to pull together, using humble ingredients.
• It's tried and tested - I've perfected this recipe over the years and this is the most stripped back, guaranteed delicious version.
• Pappardelle is the perfect pasta - this glossy sauce sticks to the thick ribbons of pasta beautifully. There's a reason this style of ragù works so well!
• Duck is a great alternative - slow cooked meats like beef and lamb are fabulous, but duck just feels special—and it is!

Stuff You'll Need

Other than duck, all the ingredients are simple, pantry staples. If you're struggling to find duck legs in your regular supermarket, I find that Asian supermarkets stock them either fresh or frozen.

• Duck legs - the leg cut is essential for this ragù. Duck breasts are not suitable as they will dry out.
• Aromatics - Carrot, onion, celery and garlic give the sauce its body.
• Red wine - for a rich ragù I use red wine, but if you like it a little lighter, use a dry white wine which will give excellent results.
• Tomato passata - I use only a little, so that the sweetness and colour is there, but not overpoweringly so.
• Chicken stock - instead of water will give more depth of flavour.
• Fennel, pepper and bay leaf - add their floral fragrance and earthiness to the sauce.

Step by Step

This is a low and slow dish, so while it takes a long time to cook, to get started is really easy. Take a look at how the magic happens.

1. Add the duck legs to a cold pan and then gently bring to a heat to render off the excess duck fat. Most of this is poured away for the next step.
2. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, pepper, bay leaf and fennel to the pan and fry for a few minutes to soften.
3. Add the red wine, sizzle briefly and then add the stock and tomato passata and bring to a simmer.
4. Cook for 2½ - 3 hours until the duck is soft. Season with salt to taste.
5. Remove the duck and bay leaf and then using an immersion blender, blend the sauce until smooth.
6. Remove the duck meat and discard the skin and bones. Chop this duck roughly and return it to the pan. That's it! The ragù is done.

Now all that's needed is to cook the pasta and toss the two together, remembering to add a little pasta cooking liquid to the pan to loosen and help emulsify the sauce.

Substitutions and Suggestions

• No duck? This recipe works well with other meats like chuck-steak, osso buco, beef short ribs or lamb shanks.
• Herbs - fresh herbs work well in this dish, I often tie up sprigs of thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano and marjoram to make a 'bouquet garni' which adds a splendid floral fragrance.
• Red or white wine - Use red for a deeper flavour, white for a lighter touch.
• Southern Italian style sauce - For a more tomato forward dish, omit the red wine altogether and use around 600ml of tomato passata instead - then add a tied small bunch of fresh basil instead of fennel seeds (fish out at the end).
• Pasta shapes - A ribboned pasta like pappardelle is traditional, but try others like fettuccine, tagliatelle, paccheri as the sauce sticks well. You can, of course, use any pasta YOU like!

Serving and Storage

• Serving - Serve with a little Parmigiano Reggiano or pecorino to sprinkle over.
• Fridge - The ragù will be good in the fridge for 4-5 days in an airtight container.
• Freezer - The sauce freezes well on its own. Just portion into airtight containers or bags and they'll be good for 3+ months.

Ready to get cooking?

This duck ragù is a wonderful option for those who want something a little different, that offers the familiar warmth of Italian comfort food. A silky, rich sauce that delivers on flavour, texture and aroma. This is regional Italian at its very best - hope you enjoy!

More ragù recipes

If you liked this ragù recipe, I'm sure you'll love some more of my favourite Italian sauce suggestions.

• Tajarin Al Ragù (Piedmontese Pasta Ragu with Fondue Sauce)
• Nduja Ragù with Penne
• Paccheri Pasta with Neapolitan Ragù
• Garganelli Pasta with Mushroom Ragù

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