Ingredients

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3 ounces fresh egg pasta per person (80g)

1 lb 5 ounces duck meat from 1 whole duck, deboned and skin removed (610g)

2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter (35g)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (55g)

1 tablespoon duck fat (13g)

12 fresh sage leaves, chopped (4g)

3 tablespoons + ½ teaspoon dried rubbed sage (about 20-25 whole dried sage leaves crumbled)

1 sprig of fresh rosemary, stem removed and rosemary chopped

½ to 1 sprig freshly dried rosemary, crumbled

2 ½ ounces carrot, diced (about 2 medium carrots) (65g)

3 ½ ounces yellow onion, diced (about 1 ½ medium onions) (100g)

1 medium celery stalk rib, diced (40g)

2 garlic cloves, smashed (8g)

1 dried bay leaf

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste (6g)

Freshly cracked black pepper

1 cup of homemade or store bought duck stock or chicken stock

2 ounces dry white wine (50g)

5 tablespoons whole milk (70g)

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Infused Milk

A pinch of ground cinnamon

1 inch piece of cinnamon stick

1 clove

Freshly grated nutmeg (about 7-10 quick bursts on a Microplane grater)

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1. Clean and debone the duck. Break down the duck by cutting it down the center of the back and opening it up. Remove all of the skin and fat to a separate bowl. Using a boning knife (or another sharp knife) remove the meat from the bones and place it into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the meat about 5-6 times, or until the meat is about the size of ground pork. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Reserve the bones to make duck stock.

2. Optional: Render the duck fat from the skin. In a large Dutch oven or another heavy-bottomed pot, add the duck skin and excess duck fat in a single layer and turn the heat on to medium. Cook slowly over medium heat until the fat has completely rendered and the duck skin is crispy. Remove the crispy skin and pour the fat into a heat-proof container.

3. Infuse the milk. In a small pot heat the milk until just before boiling, add the pinch of cinnamon, cinnamon stick, clove, and a little freshly grated nutmeg. Allow the spices to steep in the milk while you proceed with the recipe. Strain the milk just before adding it to the ragù.

4. Fry the herbs. In the same pot, add the olive oil, butter, 1 tablespoon of duck fat, chopped fresh sage leaves, chopped fresh rosemary, and garlic. Sauté until the sage and rosemary are crispy, and the garlic is just golden brown.

5. Make the sofrito. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir the mixture to combine, cover with a lid, reduce heat to low, and cook stirring occasionally for about 10-12 minutes, or until vegetables are soft and translucent but not browned.

6. Cook the ground duck. Add the ground duck to the sofrito, dried rubbed sage, dried rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste. Stir to combine and cook over low heat covered for 15 minutes or until the bottom of the pan starts to reveal a fond (browning).

7. Deglaze the pan + simmer the ragù. Add the white wine and simultaneously scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon as you stir the mixture. Cook for a couple of minutes to allow some of the alcohol to evaporate. Next, add the stock, strained milk, and a bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 1 hour. Adjust seasonings adding more salt and pepper if necessary (you may also remove the bay leaf at this point according to your tastes). Return the lid, and continue cooking over low heat for another 40 to 60 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened into a ragù.

8. Cook the pasta and finish the ragù. In lightly salted boiling water, cook pasta to al dente according to package instructions. At just about 3 minutes before noodles are cooked to al dente, ladle in approximately ¼ cup starchy pasta cooking water to the ragù to help emulsify the sauce and better coat the noodles. Adjust seasonings, and add strained pasta to the sauce. Toss to combine and serve with freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano cheese and enjoy!