Yield: 10-12 Servings

Ingredients:

Braised Duck:
• 3 dozen duck legs
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Nutmeg, to taste
• Allspice, to taste
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 cups sherry
• 1 bunch rosemary, stems only
• 1 bunch sage, stems only
• 1½ gallons chicken stock
  
  Tortelli Filling:
• Braised duck meat
• 2 cups mascarpone cheese
• 2 cups duck fat
• 2 cups sliced chives
• Salt and pepper, to taste
  
  Tortelli Dough:
• 2 pounds flour
• 2 ounces Semolina
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 10 eggs
  
  Squash:
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 acorn squash, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 hubbard squash, peeled, seeded and diced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 quart diced red onion
  
  Additional:
• 1 bunch rosemary, leaves only
• 1 bunch sage, leaves only
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Butter, to taste
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
• Pecorino cheese, grated

Method:
For Braised Duck:
Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Season the duck legs with salt, pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and bay leaves; marinate overnight. The next day, use a towel to wipe off any excess salt.

Heat the oil in a large braising pan, and sear the skin-side of each duck leg; remove duck from the pan. Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pan, and brown the vegetables for at least 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the sherry and then add the rosemary and sage leaves. Return the duck legs to the pan, and add just enough chicken stock to cover. Bring to a boil and transfer the pan to the oven. Cook until the meat is tender, approximately 2-3 hours. Remove pan from the oven, cool, and carefully pick duck meat from the bones. Set the meat aside, and retain the braising liquid.

For Tortelli Filling:
Mince half of the picked duck meat; combine the minced duck with remaining ingredients and mix until well incorporated.

For Tortelli:
Arrange the flour in the shape of a well. Break the eggs into the center of the well, add the salt, and work into the flour with your hands. Gently knead until the dough becomes firm and elastic. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes. Separate the dough into quarters; begin working with one quarter at a time, keeping the remaining portions tightly wrapped in plastic until ready for use. Pull dough through a pasta machine at the second-to-thinnest setting, folding into halves each time and reinserting 15-20 times, to further knead it. Continue until the pasta is paper-thin.

Lay out the sheets of dough and cut them into 4-inch squares. Place 1 Tablespoon of the tortelli filling on one corner of each square. Dampen the dough around the filling with water, then fold the dough over and seal each mound, pressing out the air with your fingertips. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the tortelli and cook until they are tender, about 6 minutes.

For Squash:
Divide and heat the olive oil in 3 separate sauté pans. Sear each kind of squash separately, and season to taste with rosemary, salt and pepper. When the squashes are almost cooked, divide the red onion between the sauté pans. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Combine the squashes and onions in a large bowl, and adjust the seasonings, to taste.

To Assemble and Serve:
Place the duck braising liquid in a sauce pot over medium heat and reduce by a third. Add the remaining duck meat and the squash-onion mixture. Add the rosemary and sage leaves. Season with salt, pepper, and butter, to taste.

Place 6-8 tortelli in each heated serving bowl. Place a spoonful of the remaining duck meat and 1½ Tablespoons of the squash-onion mix over the pasta. Spoon the reduced sauce generously over each dish. Garnish each plate with freshly chopped parsley and grated pecorino cheese. Serve immediately.

Wine Pairing:
Nero d’Avola, Diego Cusumano, Sicily 2004

back to top