Pasta con ragu all'anatra, Venetian pasta with wild duck ragout

Number of persons: 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 90 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 wild duck breasts
• 250 ml game stock
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, cut into small cubes
• 2 stalks of celery, cut into small pieces
• 200 ml red wine
• 400 g canned diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Olive oil for frying
• Fresh basil for garnish
• 400 g fresh tagliatelle (or dried as an alternative)

Preparation method:

1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
   
   
2. Add the wild duck breast cubes to the pan and brown them all over, about 5-6 minutes.
   
   
3. Add the carrots and celery to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes, until they begin to soften.
   
   
4. Deglaze the dish with red wine and game stock
   
   
5. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, dried thyme, and rosemary to the pan. Simmer the sauce over low heat for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
   
   
6. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the tagliatelle according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water.
   
   
7. Add the cooked tagliatelle to the pan with the wild duck ragout. Mix everything well, adding some of the reserved cooking water if necessary to thin the sauce.
   
   
8. Serve with fresh basil leaves

Enjoy this delicious and authentic Italian dish!