Pasta with Duck
Pasta with duck turns two duck breasts, a glass of red wine and a few store-cupboard ingredients into a dinner that feels like a treat. The skin is crisped in its own fat, the meat is sliced thinly, and everything finishes in a sauce of onion, garlic, tomato puree and thyme. It serves two with tagliatelle or pappardelle and takes about 50 minutes, most of it on the hob.
- Total
- 49 min
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 34 min
- Serves
- 2
- Per serving
- 740kcal
Cooking the duck breast for pasta with duck
Duck breast is one of the easier meats to crisp up, but it needs a gentle start. A cold pan lets the fat melt out slowly, so the skin turns crisp without burning, and the rendered fat becomes the base for the sauce. Cook the meat until it reaches 75°C in the thickest part, then rest it for 5 minutes before slicing, so the juices stay in the meat.
Pappardelle with duck ragù is a classic of Italian cooking, especially in Tuscany. This version is a quicker, lighter sauce, built in the same pan as the duck.
How to cook pasta with duck
Tap a time to start a timer.
- Score the duck Pat the breasts dry with kitchen paper. With a sharp knife, score the skin in a diamond pattern, cutting through the fat but not into the meat. Season both sides with the salt and pepper. Put a large pan of salted water on to boil.
- Crisp the skin Lay the breasts skin side down in a cold frying pan, turn the heat to medium and cook for , until the skin is deep golden and crisp and most of the fat has melted. Turn them over and cook for more, until the thickest part reads 75°C on a meat thermometer. Move them to a board and rest for .
- Start the sauce Pour all but 1 tablespoon of the fat out of the pan and keep it for roasting potatoes. Add the onion and fry gently for until soft, then stir in the garlic, tomato puree and thyme and cook for .
- Reduce the wine Pour in the red wine, scraping up any sticky bits from the bottom of the pan, and boil for until it has reduced by about half. Add the stock and simmer for . Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the boiling water for the time on the packet, usually , saving a mugful of the cooking water before you drain it.
- Add the duck Slice the rested duck thinly and add it to the sauce with any juices from the board. Simmer for , until there is no pink left in the meat.
- Toss and serve Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss well, loosening the sauce with a splash of the cooking water if it is too thick. Serve in warm bowls with the parmesan.
What to serve and what to swap
A simple green salad with a sharp dressing cuts through the richness. A dry red wine such as Merlot works well for the sauce, and any left in the bottle goes nicely alongside.
For a shortcut, ready-cooked confit duck legs can replace the breasts in pasta with confit duck. If you would rather cook the breasts in the air fryer, air fryer duck breast has the timings.
Common problems and fixes for pasta with Duck
- The duck skin is not crisp.
- Pat the skin very dry and start in a cold pan, as in step 2, so the fat melts slowly. Do not move the breasts for the first 8 minutes.
- The sauce is thin and watery.
- The wine did not reduce enough. Boil it until it has reduced by half, and let the stock simmer for the full 5 minutes before the duck goes in.
- The duck is tough and dry.
- It was cooked for too long in the pan or the sauce. Take it out at 75°C, rest it for 5 minutes, slice it thinly across the grain and give it only 2–3 minutes in the sauce.
Frequently asked questions about pasta with Duck
What is the best pasta for pasta with duck?
Wide ribbons such as pappardelle or tagliatelle are best, because the rich sauce and pieces of meat cling to them. Rigatoni or large shells also hold a chunky sauce well.
Can you use leftover roast duck?
Yes. Skip steps 1 and 2, fry the onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil or duck fat, and stir about 250g of shredded cooked duck into the sauce at the end, simmering it until steaming hot.
Can you leave out the red wine?
Yes. Use the same amount of extra chicken stock and add a squeeze of lemon juice for some sharpness. The sauce will be lighter, so simmer it a minute longer.
What temperature should duck be cooked to?
Cook duck until it is steaming hot all the way through, with a core temperature of 75°C, or 70°C held for 2 minutes. Thin slices finished in the sauce for 2–3 minutes should have no pink left.
How did you like the recipe?
4.7 / 5 · 75 ratings
