Pappardelle Duck Ragu
By: Anonymous
Published: Monday, December 28, 2009 - 11:21pm

Ingredients




1 small Onion, chopped
1 Celery stick, chopped
1 Carrot, chopped
2 tablespoons Olive oil
50 grams Pancetta or streaky bacon, chopped
4 115 g skinned duck breasts, cut into small strips or pieces
85 ml Dry red wine
1 Bouquet garni, (small bunch flatleaf parsley, 3 
2 400 g cans whole peeled plum tomatoes, well drained and the flesh chopped (use the ju
1 pch dried chilli flakes, (optional)
150 ml Chicken stock
350 grams Pappardelle, (long pasta ribbons)
2 Heaped tbsp freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1 1 Place the onion, celery and carrot in a food processor and blitz for about 10 seconds until finely chopped. Heat a deep-sided non-stick pan and then add the olive oil. 2 2 Tip in the vegetables and pancetta or bacon and saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. 3 3 Add the duck, stirring until well combined and cook for another few minutes until the meat is sealed, stirring. Pour in the wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes until well reduced. 4 4 Add the bouquet garni, a teaspoon each of salt and pepper and the tomatoes and chilli flakes, if using, and cook for another 2 minutes. 5 5 Add a little of the stock, cover and cook for 1 and a half hours on a low heat, stirring occasionally and adding stock until it is finished and the sauce has reduced and thickened. Season to taste. 6 6 Plunge the papperdelle into a large pan of boiling salted water and cook for 6-8 minutes until just tender or al dente. Drain and refresh under cold running water, then add to the sauce. 7 7 Mix well, discard the bouquet garni and stir in the pecorino or Parmesan. 8 Divide among hot plates and serve at once. You can also serve the meat separately if you wish with a salad.