Bigoli con l'Anatra
Thick, extruded Venetian pasta dressed with savoury duck ragù, known locally as bigoli co l'arna, traditionally served as the first course of a two-part boiled duck meal.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 75 min
- Total
- 100 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 640 kcal
Equipment
- •Large stockpot
- •Deep frying pan
- •Slotted spoon
- •Fine mesh strainer
- •Chef's knife
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- fat
- 24 g
- carbs
- 68 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 34 g
- calories
- 640 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Place the duck, carrot, celery, halved onion, and bay leaves into a large stockpot.
- 2
Cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt, and bring slowly to a simmer over medium heat.
- 3
Skim any froth from the surface and cook gently for one hour until the meat is tender.
- 4
Lift out the duck onto a board to cool, then strain the golden broth into a clean pot.
- 5
Strip half the meat from the duck, chop it finely for the ragù, and keep remaining joints warm for the second course.
- 6
Melt the butter in a wide frying pan over medium heat and sweat the chopped onion until soft.
- 7
Stir in the chopped rosemary, sage, and minced duck meat, browning lightly for three minutes.
- 8
Pour in the white wine and let it bubble until the sharp alcohol scent evaporates completely.
- 9
Ladle in 200 ml of strained duck broth and simmer over low heat until glossy and rich.
- 10
Bring the remaining duck broth to a rolling boil and cook the bigoli until firm to the bite.
- 11
Transfer the pasta into the ragù using tongs, adding Grana Padano and a splash of broth.
- 12
Toss vigorously until the sauce coats every strand, serving immediately followed by the warm boiled duck.
Chef's tips
Cooking the bigoli directly in the strained duck broth infuses the pasta with intense savoury flavour. Do not over-mince the cooked duck meat; fine hand-chopping preserves its rustic texture far better than a food processor.
Ingredient substitutions
- fresh bigoli → dried bucatini, pici, or thick wholewheat spaghetti
- whole duck → duck legs simmered with store-bought poultry stock
Storage
Store leftover ragù and pasta separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat the ragù in a wide pan over gentle heat with a splash of water or stock before tossing with freshly cooked pasta.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the duck too vigorously, which turns the meat stringy and makes the broth cloudy.
- •Discarding the duck broth instead of using it to boil the pasta and loosen the ragù.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Bigoli con l'Anatra?
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