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    Home » Main

    Venetian Duck Ragù With Bigoli

    Published: Jan 20, 2022 · Modified: Sep 27, 2023 by Carolyn Hetke · This post may contain affiliate links,

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Impressive, complex layers of flavour in this Venetian Duck Ragù with Bigoli.

    Venetian cuisine and that of the Veneto region have many well known gems, including polenta, gnocchi with lots of meat, game and of course regional cheeses such as Taleggio, Asiago and Piave.

    This dish draws on Bigoli (also known as bucatini and similar to Tuscany's pici). Bigoli is a large pasta like thick spaghetti with a whole in the middle (when dry). It was once made with buckwheat flour and duck eggs but nowadays whole wheat tends to replace the buckwheat. It makes a sturdy base for this delicious ragù!

    The ragù recipe uses duck legs in the sauce. I happened to have a duck in my freezer so I made this Crispy Roast Duck and used the breast and leg meat shredded from that. I put the meat in during the last hour of simmering.

    Crispy roasted duck on a wire rack with cinnamon seasoning rubbed on skin.

    And then I turned that Crisy Duck into this delicious dish!

    A pasta bowl with Bigoli covered with duck ragu, garnished with grana padano and rosemary at a table with a glass of amarone wine and focaccia bread.
    Venetian Duck Ragù

    Wine Pairing For Duck Ragù With Bigoli

    This traditional Venetian dish deserves the best the Veneto region has to offer. In the red category an Amarone would be ideal to match the weight and richness of the dish. Next best would be a Ripasso Superiore or Ripasso Classico.

    White aficionados should look for a rich Soave.

    A pasta bowl with Bigoli covered with duck ragu, garnished with grana padano and rosemary at a table with a glass of amarone wine and focaccia bread.

    Venetian Duck Ragu With Bigoli

    Elegant and flavourful! Perfect to pair with Amarone!
    Author: Carolyn Hetke

    If you tried this, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know it went in the 📝 comments below!

    5 from 6 votes
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    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 2 hours hrs
    Servings: 6 servings

    Ingredients

    • 4 large duck legs
    • 1 carrot finely chopped
    • 1 onion finely chopped
    • 1 celery stalk finely chopped
    • 1 orange zest and juice
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon divided ½ + ½
    • 1 cup passata or pureed tomatoes
    • 5 ½ oz tomato paste
    • ⅔ cup dry white wine
    • 5 cups chicken broth
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 2 Tbsps olive oil
    • 16 oz Bigoli pasta
    • 4 oz fresh Parmesan or Grana Padano for serving

    Instructions

    • Salt, pepper duck legs. Rub ½ teaspoon cinnamon over duck legs. Sear duck legs in 1 tablespoon olive oil  in the pan over medium heat until browned. (about 7 minutes per side). Remove legs from the pan.
    • Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the roaster and add carrot, onion and celery, orange zest, bay leaf and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Cook over medium high heat about 10 minutes till vegetables are soft. You may choose to transfer the mixture now to a Dutch oven. Don't forget to scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom.
    • Add the duck legs back to the pan. Add the wine and cook until wine is reduce to half. Add the orange juice, passata, paste, and stock. Stir to combine and simmer slowly about 2 hours, uncovered, until sauce reaches desired thickness. Turn duck legs over half way through cooking time.
    • Remove duck legs from the pan. Remove skin and shred the meat. Return the shredded meat to the pan.
    • During last half hour of cooking the ragu start to bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook Bigoli according to manufacturer's instructions. (Time it so the pasta is done after you are satisfied with the sauce consistency.)
    • Drain pasta and divide among 6 bowls. Top generously with ragu and grate fresh parmesan or Grana Padano over the ragu.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 772kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1093mg | Potassium: 801mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2235IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 290mg | Iron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @thewineloverski or tag #thewineloverski!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 6 votes

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Terri

      January 31, 2022 at 5:13 pm

      5 stars
      I wish I had duck in my freezer! This sounds unique and delicious!

      Reply
    2. Julia

      January 31, 2022 at 8:30 am

      5 stars
      This is the perfect Valentine's Day Dinner! Saving for later, thanks for the fantastic recipe!

      Reply
    3. Colleen

      January 25, 2022 at 6:08 pm

      5 stars
      I need to get some duck so that I can make this ragu. It looks so good!

      Reply
    4. Marie

      January 25, 2022 at 5:11 pm

      5 stars
      Oh, this is definitely going to have to go on the shirt list for Valentine's Day dinner! Fancy, but worth the effort.

      Reply
    5. nancy

      January 25, 2022 at 12:29 pm

      5 stars
      tasty! I have duck in my freezer too! pinned recipe for later!

      Reply
    6. ralph hetke

      January 23, 2022 at 7:45 am

      5 stars
      EXCELLENT

      Reply

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