The city of Venice is one defined by its heritage - from the grand Byzantine architecture that rises from the landscape, to its labyrinthine canals and waterways. A direct path to the Adriatic Sea, echoes of the Ottoman Empire ring throughout the city. Venice’s Middle Eastern heritage endures in its modern cuisine, too: spices like cinnamon, saffron, and nutmeg are commonplace in Venetian cooking. Few dishes are more emblematic of this heritage than the classic Venetian duck ragù, which blends rich duck meat with wine, bay leaf, and exotic herbs and spices.
As is often the case in Italy, the origin of duck ragù is disputed. Some suggest the dish was the brainchild of Catherine de’ Medici in the sixteenth century, who sought to take advantage of the abundance of birds that lived on the River Arno in Tuscany. However, most regard this dish as quintessentially Venetian. Indeed, duck had long been domesticated during the days of the Republic of Venice, and an early version of this ragù was commonly enjoyed with bigoli pasta. While many Venetian restaurants still honour this traditional pairing, we like to serve this ragù with several other pasta shapes, including paccheri, as here, whose cavernous interiors invite the rich meat sauce to nestle within.
Note: Please consume or freeze our pasta and sauces within 2 days of delivery.
METHOD
- Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Salt the water (around ½tbsp per litre).
- Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 5-6 minutes. Stir regularly to prevent sticking.
- Whilst the pasta cooks, put the sauce in a pan and add 2tbsp (30ml) of the boiling pasta cooking water. Take care to ensure you squeeze all the sauce from the pouch. Gently heat until steaming and then turn off the heat.
- Lift the pasta out of the water and transfer to the sauce. Toss gently to coat.
- Sprinkle over the Italian cheese. Serve immediately. Buon appetito!
INGREDIENTS
Allergens in BOLD & CAPITALISED:
Durum WHEAT Semolina, WHEAT Flour, EGG, Rice Flour
Tomato, Duck Leg (Origin: France) (26%), Water, CELERY, Carrots, Onion, Black Olives, Red Wine (SULPHITES), Chicken Stock (contains CELERY Seeds), Garlic, Sugar, Mint, Salt, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Black Pepper, Bay Leaf
MILK, Salt, Rennet (Microbial Coagulant), EGG Lysozyme
ALLERGENS
In addition to the recipe-specific allergen information provided, Pasta Evangelists handles all 14 allergens prescribed in legislation. Whilst we have implemented and maintain safety practices and take all reasonable precautions to prevent cross-contamination, we cannot guarantee that our products will not contain traces of these allergens.
NUTRITION
Calories per serving: 715kcal
Following nutritional information is per 100g:
- Energy 812kJ
- Calories 194kcal
- Fat 4.1g
- Of which saturates 1.3g
- Carbohydrates 29.0g
- Of which sugars 3.1g
- Protein 10.0g
- Salt 0.25g
RECIPE CARD
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