Braised Duck Bolognese Recipe

Prepare and brown duck legs

Pat duck legs dry and season lightly with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. In a large heavy ovenproof pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add duck legs skin-side down and brown 6–8 minutes until skin is deeply golden and most fat has rendered. Flip and brown 3–4 minutes on the other side. Remove duck to a plate and reserve rendered fat in the pot.

Sweat mirepoix

Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 tbs butter to the pot with the duck fat. Add diced onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 8–10 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

Develop base flavors

Stir in 2 tbs tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes until it darkens slightly. Pour in 1 cup dry red wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine reduce by about half, 3–5 minutes.

Braise the duck

Return the browned duck legs to the pot. Add 14 oz crushed tomatoes, 2 cups stock, 2 bay leaves, and 3 thyme sprigs. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and transfer to an oven preheated to 300°F (150°C) or keep simmering gently on the stovetop. Braise until duck is very tender and falling off the bone, 1.5–2 hours.

Shred and finish ragù

Remove duck legs from the pot. When cool enough to handle, pull meat from bones and discard bones and skin (or reserve crisped skin for garnish). Shred the meat into bite-size pieces. Skim excess fat from the surface of the sauce, then return shredded duck to the pot. Simmer gently to thicken the sauce 10–15 minutes. Season with remaining 1 tsp salt and remaining 1/2 tsp black pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves and thyme stems.

Incorporate Boursin

Off the heat, stir 4 oz Boursin cheese into the hot ragù until melted and fully incorporated, adding 1 tbs grated Parmesan and 1/2 tsp lemon zest to brighten. If the sauce is too thick, loosen with 2–4 tbs reserved pasta water or stock. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir in 2 tbs chopped parsley.

Cook pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil; add 1 tbsp salt. Cook 12 oz pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Prepare peppered pasta sauce

In the same pasta pot or a skillet, warm 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter over medium heat. Add 2 tsp coarsely crushed black pepper and toast briefly 30–45 seconds to bloom the pepper. Add drained pasta and 1/4–1/2 cup reserved pasta water and toss to coat, cooking 1–2 minutes so pasta absorbs liquid. Adjust with additional reserved water if needed to reach a silky consistency. Season lightly with a pinch of salt.

Combine pasta and ragù

Transfer peppered noodles to the pot with the Boursin duck ragù (or ladle ragù over plated pasta). Toss gently to combine so noodles are evenly coated. If needed, add up to 2 tbs more pasta water to loosen the sauce. Rewarm briefly over low heat, 1–2 minutes, to marry flavors.

Divide pasta among 4 plates or bowls. Spoon extra ragù over the top. Finish with a small crumble of any remaining Boursin, an extra dusting of grated Parmesan if desired, cracked black pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp), and additional chopped parsley. Serve immediately.