Pasta with duck sauce

This rich Italian pasta sauce made with thinly sliced duck breast braised in passata, red wine and herbs is perfect for autumn suppers. Simple to make and full of flavour, it’s one of my favourite #TheFridayRecipe’s.

Serves 2

3 tablespoons of light olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or grated
2 skinless duck breasts cut into thin slices
200ml passata
300ml chicken stock
250ml red wine
2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of finely chopped rosemary and 2 of finely chopped sage leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grated Parmesan and fresh parsley to garnish
125g pasta shapes. Choose one that will hold the sauce well. I used Gigli.

To make…

Heat the oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook gently for about 10 minutes so it softens and brings out its flavour.
Add the duck pieces, stir for a few minutes until lightly coloured. Stir in the garlic, cook for a few minutes. Add the red wine, stir for a couple of minutes. Add the stock, herbs and seasoning.
Cover and cook at a gentle simmer for about an hour until the sauce has thickened. Taste and check the seasoning. This can be made ahead and reheated.
Cook the pasta for a minute less than the pack instructions recommend, drain (reserve a little of the cooking water) and add to the sauce. Allow the pasta to absorb a little of the sauce – it should still be quite silky. Add a little of the cooking water if it’s too thick.
Serve in warm pasta bowls and garnish with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan.

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