I cobbled this dish together attempting to try and recreate a delicious pasta I enjoyed for lunch at a Vancouver restaurant. We used to make our own duck confit every November from Julia Child’s Mastering The Art cookbook. Absolutely divine! As we don’t make it any longer I find it at Oyama Sausage on Granville Island. With fall comes here on the south coast of B.C. there’s plenty of local winter squash around and Butternut is one of my favourites!
Makes 4 Servings
4 confit duck legs
3 cups ½” cubes butternut squash
2 Tbsp. EVO
4 egg fresh tagliatelle/fettuccine (see below)
2 large cloves garlic, roasted (see below)
1 very large shallot, minced
1 cup chicken or duck stock
(opt.) 2 Tbsp. demi-glace
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
4 – 6 large leaves fresh sage, chopped (or to taste)
¼ cup red or white wine
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
Note: or you can use 1 lb. purchased fresh fettuccine.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Roast the garlic: Place the unpeeled garlic on a small sheet of tin foil, drizzle with a little EVO. Wrap the garlic completely in the foil and place in the oven until soft, checking after 30 minutes. When soft, cool and set aside.
Place the duck legs onto a rimmed baking sheet, heating until the fat melts. Remove from pan; let cool a bit; remove the duck meat from the bones, breaking into pieces; set aside, keep warm.
Roast the squash:
Preheat the oven to 450F.
Toss the butternut squash with EVO. Place in the oven and roast 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Return to the oven and roast 10 minutes longer. Remove from oven; keep warm.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile make the sauce for the pasta. Melt 1 Tbsp. of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat; sauté the shallots until softened but not browned. Deglaze the pan by adding the wine and reducing until almost evaporated. Add the stock and reduce by half. Squeeze the roasted garlic from their skins and add to skillet along with the sage leaves, stirring to blend in. Add the demi-glace if using. Gently stir duck meat and squash into the pan; heat until warmed through; season to taste with salt and pepper, keep sauce warm on medium low heat, while cooking the tagliatelle.
Add 1 Tbsp. salt to the pot of boiling water, stir in the tagliatelle and cook until al dente, checking after 2 minutes. When done, reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water then drain the pasta in a colander. Add the pasta to the sauce, tossing to combine, if pasta appears dry, add a bit of pasta cooking water. Toss for approximately 1 minute. Finish the pasta with 1 Tbsp. butter. Place the pasta in a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately. You can serve with Parmigiano Reggiano or not.
Helpful link to Food Processor or Stand Mixer Pasta Dough. Homemade pasta is so much better so do try it if you can.
