Category Archives: ITALIAN CUISINE

ROASTED SWEET POTATO RAVIOLI

I believe I have mentioned on earlier postings that I love pasta. And for some reason (excessive profit I believe it’s called) makers of fresh ravioli seem to think it’s OK to charge an arm and a leg for the same amount of product I can make for about a dollar. Now granted, I don’t have manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and delivery costs to consider, but really, the markup is astronomical. So when I can make my own ravioli with won ton wrappers, I feel great about myself. And coincidentally, the ravioli happens to taste pretty darn good too. And of course I know I am cheating by not making my own pasta, but you all know that finding shortcuts (aka cheating) whenever possible in the kitchen is what I strive to achieve! (I’ve learned to live with my little addiction. In fact, I no longer even ask for forgiveness in my evening prayers.)

So if you too want to save a little time and money, build yourself a batch of these incredible ravioli. And when you serve them tenderly blanketed with Butter and Sage Sauce, you won’t think to ask forgiveness for cheating a little in the preparation either. In fact, serve this dish to your loved ones, and they might forgive you just about anything! After all, it worked for me when I happened to throw out one of Mr. Cs favorite shirts. Even if the darned thing was 25 years old, the most putrid shade of green I had ever seen, was frayed and stained around the collar, and last fit him about 20 years ago; he loved that shirt. I simply asked for forgiveness at about the same time he took his last bite of the pasta on his plate. It really is very hard to stay mad at someone who is fully capable of denying a second helping!

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 1 T. butter
  • 3 T. minced shallot
  • 3 T. half & half
  • 3 T. grated Parmesan cheese
  • pinch nutmeg
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • wonton wrappers
  • 1 recipe Pasta with Butter and Sage Sauce (under Main Dish Recipes)

Wash and dry the sweet potato. Stick it with a fork in 3-4 places, place it in a pan, and bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool until you are able to hold it in your hand comfortably. Peel and mash the sweet potato; set aside. In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté for 1 minute. Add the mashed sweet potato and cook until the mixture is slightly dry, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the half and half. Continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and the pinch of nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Don’t over salt because there is plenty of salt in the Butter and Sage Sauce.) Lightly flour a clean work surface. Set a small bowl of water nearby. Lay wrappers on the surface. Place a small scoop or heaping teaspoon of the sweet potato mixture on every other wrapper. Dip your finger in the water and wet the outside edge of each wrapper. Gently place the wrappers without the filling over the wrappers with the filling, wet edges together. Gently but firmly press down on the edges of each ravioli with the tines of a fork. Refrigerate in a single layer until ready to use. (This recipe makes about 11 ravioli.) When your sauce is ready* place the raviolis into boiling salted water one at a time (to prevent initial sticking).  Reduce heat if necessary and cook for about 2 minutes. They will float to the top when they are ready. Gently lift out of the water and place on plates. Serve covered with Butter and Sage Sauce or any fairly simple pasta sauce.

*Hint: always have your pasta sauce ready before your pasta is finished cooking, not the other way around. Pasta is much more time sensitive then most sauces. And if possible, always cook your pasta al dente unless otherwise instructed. Mushy pasta is simply not very appealing.

 

 

STUFFED BONELESS LEG OF LAMB

Once upon a time (I have always wanted to start a preface to a recipe or story with this ever so rarely used story opener) there was a really good Italian restaurant in Redmond, Washington that offered cooking classes. For the life of me I can’t remember the name of the restaurant and in my defense, I did take the class along with my dear friend Jim 16 or 17 years ago. Anyway, the restaurant is long gone! What remains is this fabulous recipe. Now I am a lamb lover. I love grilled ground lamb patties served with Tzatziki, lamb curry, rack of lamb, marinated and grilled lamb chops; basically all things lamb. But my favorite all time way to cook lamb is this stuffed leg recipe.

The first time I made it for guests was for a cooking club that has been going, more off than on unfortunately, for over a decade. The thing that stands out most about serving this dish was the reaction I received from my 2 cooking buddies Ken and Paul. (And yes it does seem like all my best cooking pals are male. My mom never raised no dummy!) But back to my story. The leg of lamb was happily resting under its aluminum foil blanket and it was time to make the sauce. The first thing you need to know about this lamb preparation is that it produces just about the best sauce you will ever taste. And this evening’s sauce was no exception. I actually invited the guys to try the sauce/gravy as it was reducing. I wanted to demonstrate the difference a touch of lemon juice could make to the overall flavor of the sauce when it was added just before serving. Well, that was one of the worst mistakes I ever made! The guys were eating spoonfuls of the sauce before it ever got to the table. They even asked if I had any straws! They wanted to suck it up right out of the pan!

Now I have to be honest with you. This recipe is easy once you build the demi-glace. But making demi-glace is a pain in the bucket. It’s not hard to make, it’s just time consuming. So when I make it, I make about 4 cups and that usually lasts me for an entire year, if not longer. But making your own demi-glace beats the heck out of buying it. You want to experience sticker shock, go on line and figure out what a cup of demi-glace costs.  Of course, if you’re super rich, no problem. But if you are ordinary folk like Mr. C. and me, well suffice it to say, I build my own. I usually make it when I know I am going to be futzing around the kitchen for several hours anyway. That way I can periodically give it a check while I perform whatever other cooking projects happen to be in the works. (It also helps that I have an outdoor kitchen. I can put my pot of bones, meat, veggies and water on to boil outside and not have to worry about messing up my kitchen.) So next time you want to prepare a dish that will knock the socks off your guests, give this baby a try. You will not be disappointed. Well maybe just a little. Leftovers for next evening’s meal are simply not going to happen.

  • 1 medium sized boneless leg of lamb
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 T. finely chopped fresh sage
  • 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 7-8 slices prosciutto
  • 2 T. vegetable oil
  • 1 c. Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris, your choice (Both come from the same grape, but are made differently.  Italian style Pinot Grigio is typically lighter-bodied, crisp, fresh tasting, with a vibrant stone fruit flavor, floral aroma, and a touch of spice. Pinot Gris, from the Alsace region in France, is more full-bodied, richer, spicier, and has a higher viscosity.)
  • 1 c. demi-glace (see recipe under This & That Recipes)
  • ½ c. heavy cream
  • additional wine, if necessary (so don’t drink the rest of the bottle while the lamb is cooking)
  • ¼ tsp. fresh lemon juice

If the leg of lamb came in a sweet little mesh blanket bag, carefully slide the lamb out of the netting and set aside. Open lamb out on a cutting board and taking a sharp meat knife carefully slice the boned side of the meat here and there to achieve an even thickness. (I used to pound the meat with a mallet, but I have found slicing the meat here and there works better. Doesn’t leave the meat kind of mushy.) Rub the meat with a moderate amount of salt and pepper and sprinkle with the garlic, sage, and rosemary. Lay prosciutto on top. Roll the meat to approximately the same shape it was before you started messing with it. Tie with string so it keeps its shape while braising, or carefully stuff it back into the wire mesh bag. Heat oil in a heavy lidded roasting pan or Dutch oven. Brown the meat on all sides in the hot oil. Remove from heat and add the wine and demi-glace. Cover and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes. Remove lid, reduce heat to 325 degrees, insert instant read thermometer and continue roasting until meat reaches an internal temperature of 140-145 for medium rare. Remove meat from oven, transfer to a cutting board, remove string or mesh bag, and tent gently with aluminum foil. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing into ½-inch pieces. Meanwhile, add an additional fourth to half cup of wine to roasting pan if there is less than a half cup of liquid remaining after the roast was removed. Add the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer a few minutes or until the sauce has reduced to a medium thick consistency. Adjust seasoning and add lemon juice. Remove from heat. Arrange 1 or 2 slices of meat on each plate. Spoon a small amount of sauce over each slice. (Don’t be too generous. The sauce is really, really rich. I usually serve whatever sauce is left in a small gravy boat and place it on the dining table for guests to help themselves.)

Side Dish Suggestions: Oven Roasted Fingerling Potatoes (recipe below), a steamed veggie like green beans or broccoli, a salad such as Winter Fruit Salad or Coleslaw, and a nice homemade Beer Bread. And for dessert – how about Cherries Jubilee or French vanilla ice cream with Spiced Rum Sauce (recipe found under Bread Pudding with Spiced Rum Sauce)

Wine Suggestion: Let’s see, how about starting with the left over Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris that has been happily waiting for you in the refrigerator? Or if that’s already gone, open another of the same!

Oven Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

  • 2 lbs. fingerling potatoes
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • seasoned or kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced

Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour on just enough olive oil to coat the potatoes lightly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add rosemary, and garlic. Mix with your hands. Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. (Your potatoes can be roasting while your leg of lamb is resting.)

 

 

 

 

 

PASTA WITH BUTTER AND SAGE SAUCE

When it comes to pasta, I am a sucker! I like everything pasta. Plain, fancy, smothered in sauce, meatless, in soup – you name it. And because I am such a huge fan, I have made many pasta dishes over the years. One of my favorites is this incredibly unpretentious, meatless pasta that can be served as either a main or side dish. And the most amazing thing, besides of course how wonderful this pasta tastes, is how easy and inexpensive it is to prepare. (I love that!) So if you can’t think of anything to fix for dinner some evening when you only have the strength for about 20 minutes in the kitchen, give this recipe a try.

A quick word about sage. Although most grocery stores carry fresh sage leaves, you might consider growing your own sage bush. Sage is extremely easy to grow, and it over-winters very well, at least in the areas around the Pacific NW that are fairly mild. In fact, sage grows almost as well as many of our more aggressive and sinister weeds! God bless them. (And I mean that in the most sarcastic way possible!) And while you are at it, think about planting some oregano and a bay tree also. Just pay very close attention to your oregano plant. Oregano can turn against you and become as much of a problem as those darling weeds I referenced above. And I think I made myself pretty clear on how I feel about them! So keep oregano contained in a planter or in an area where it can’t become a nuisance. Think mint!

  • ¼ lb. to 1/3 lb. pasta*
  • 4 T. butter (don’t even think about using anything but real butter)
  • 8-9 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
  • 4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
  • freshly ground black pepper

While your pasta cooks to al dente’, melt butter in a medium sized sauté pan.  Cook until the butter is a light golden brown. Quickly add the chopped sage leaves and remove from heat. (I say quickly because brown butter can go to burned butter in the twinkling of an eye!) Add the lemon juice. Drain the pasta, reserving about ¼ cup of the cooking water. Carefully pour the drained pasta into the sauté pan and return to low heat. Add the cheese, a grind or two of pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking water. Toss to coat and let cook until water absorbed, about a minute. If pasta appears too dry, add another tablespoon or two of cooking water. Serve immediately.

*Linguini is lovely with this sauce, but pumpkin or butternut squash ravioli is absolutely divine.

Side Dish Suggestions (when serving pasta as a main dish): a crisp green salad and crusty, chewy baguette slices

Wine Pairing: Pinot Grigio

PUTTANESCA

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I first had Puttanesca (Spaghetti alla puttanesca  – literally “whore’s spaghetti” in Italian) many years ago at our good friend Gaspare Tranis’ Italian restaurant. I was immediately smitten. And truthfully I don’t remember where I found this recipe or if I just played around with ingredients until I stumbled on to the taste I wanted. All I care about now is that Puttanesca is quick and easy to prepare, consists of ingredients I almost always have on hand (being the consummate replacement shopper that I am), and Mr. C. and I both truly love it. And it’s meatless! Oh I know, you could legitimately argue that Puttanesca isn’t technically meatless because of the salty little fish Mr. C. and I so dearly love. But for those of us who are trying to reduce the amount of meat (beef, lamb, pig products) in our diet, Puttanesca is in essence “meatless”. And I know what you’re thinking. Puttanesca being meatless is kind of like saying someone is just a little bit pregnant. They either are, or they aren’t! But for me, enjoying a dish that is darned close to meatless is good enough. And not being even the slightest bit pregnant is even better!!

  • ¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • ¼ tsp. dried red pepper flakes, or more to taste
  • 2-oz. can anchovy fillets (or 10-12 fillets)
  • 32-oz. tomato sauce
  • 18-20 kalamata olives, sliced
  • 2 T. drained capers
  • 12-oz. spaghetti, linguine, or penne pasta, cooked al dente
  • ¼ c. chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a medium covered saucepan, heat olive oil and add onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Sauté until garlic is just starting to brown. Add the anchovy fillets and stir them around until they are all mushed up. Add the tomato sauce, cover the pan, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in the olives and capers. Remove from heat and add pasta. Cover and let sit for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle with parsley just before serving. Pass Parmesan cheese separately.

Side Dish Suggestions: a simple green salad and Focaccia or baguette slices

Wine Pairing: a rich Merlot, a bold Cabernet Sauvignon (Puttanesca can stand it), or a chewy Lemberger

FOCACCIA

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Focaccia is a flat Italian yeast bread that is easy to make and absolutely delicious. And even if you’ve been baking bread for as long as I have, I’m sure you will love the ease with which this bread goes together.  First of all, there are only 6 ingredients in the dough! What’s not to love about that? And none of those 6 ingredients is exotic, expensive, or hard to find. (I’ll get to the fleur de sel part a little later. For now, let’s just bask in the relative inexpensive merits of the recipe thus far!) In addition to being very easy to prepare, a rustic appearance is almost mandatory. In other words, no presentation points are awarded for straight lines, in fact demerits are given if the bread looks too perfect!  But the best reason to bake Focaccia is still its’ lovely flavor and the fact that this soft thin bread is exceptionally versatile. Obviously Focaccia is great served as part of an Italian dinner. But straight out of the oven, sliced in fairly small pieces, Focaccia is also a fabulous appetizer. Serve it with a small bowl of dunking oil (extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chopped garlic and parsley, kosher salt, and pepper) and your guests will be very happy with you. But in my opinion Focaccia is at its best when used to sop up recalcitrant sauces that take little walk-abouts on your plate.  (Some people are fussy about different foods “touching”, and this bread is a life saver in that regard.)  Focaccia is also delicious dunked in thick soups and stews and as a mop for those last little bits left on the sides of your bowl or on your plate.  (It is ever so much more socially acceptable to use a piece of bread as a mop than say licking your bowl or plate or using your finger. I’ve seen both done, believe me. Remember those 4 kids I mentioned earlier in my blog?) And speaking of earlier, I did mention I would talk about fleur de sel.

According to Wikipedia, fleur de sel (flower of salt) is a hand-harvested sea salt collected by scraping only the top layer of salt before it sinks to the bottom of large salt pans. Traditional French fleur de sel is collected off the coast of Brittany, most notably in the town of Guerande. Due to its relative scarcity and its labor-intensive production, fleur de sel is one of the more expensive salts. Although I love to use fleur de sel on this bread, it is definitely not necessary. Kosher salt and a less precocious sea salt are perfectly acceptable substitutes. Just remember not to use too much. There is already ample salt in the bread dough itself.

  • 1 1/3 c. warm water
  • 1 T. or 1 pkg. active dry yeast
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil, divided + more for pouring over the dough
  • 3 1/2 c. flour
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
  • fleur de sel, large crystal sea salt, or kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Pour water into a mixing bowl, sprinkle with yeast, and stir in sugar, salt, and ¼ cup of the olive oil. Let rest (proof) for 5 minutes. Add 3 cups flour and knead for 4-5 minutes adding flour as needed to make a smooth and soft dough. Round dough up in the bowl, pour a little olive oil over the top, and turn dough with your hands (the best tool in your kitchen, by the way) until the entire surface is coated. Cover with a tea towel and let rest for an hour. Pour about a tablespoon of the remaining olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on the greased baking sheet. Pat dough out until it is about ½-inch thick. (Remember, it should not be a perfect rectangle.)  Poke holes all over the surface. Slather enough of the remaining olive oil over the dough to completely cover the surface. Sprinkle with chopped garlic, rosemary, salt of choice, and a couple of grinds of black pepper (not too much).  Let rest for about 30 minutes. Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let bread stay in pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Try adding kalamata olives, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, or Italian seasoning to the dough for a nice flavor surprise. (Add along with the flour.) Serve Focaccia warm or at room temperature.

 

BABA AU RHUM

One never knows what might just come from a simple question asked by your husband while he is completing a cross word puzzle. One morning  Mr. C. was doing his daily New York Times cross word puzzle (he does them every morning in the time it takes me to drink my Americano) and the clue was Baba au _ _ _ _ (fill in the blanks). Well he came up with rhum, but neither one of us had any idea what it meant. I happened to be near my computer so I did a search. Well the first thing that came up was Ina Garten’s recipe for “Baba au Rhum”. I read the recipe and told Mr. C. about my discovery. The recipe sounded so good, I just had to give it a try (with my own spin, of course). So, since it was a couple of weeks before Christmas, and I needed a dessert for both Christmas Eve and Christmas day, I thought a double recipe of Baba au Rhum would be perfect.  I don’t believe “perfect” adequately describes this dessert. It is possibly the best thing I have ever put in my mouth. Everyone else loved it too. It has now become number 1 on the “Extended Family Holiday Sacred Side Dishes and Desserts List”. I’m fairly certain that if I don’t make this fabulous dessert again next Christmas, and every year thereafter, I might meet the “hereafter” sooner than nature and the Gods of such things had originally planned for me! Just sayin’…….

  • 1/3 c. dried currents
  • 1 T. + 2/3 c. dark rum
  • 5 T. butter, divided, room temperature
  • 1/2 c. milk
  • 1 T. active dry yeast (1 pkg.)
  • 2 T. + 1 c. sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 2/3 c. flour
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ tsp. + 2 tsp. vanilla
  •  3/4 c. apricot preserves
  • 1 T. water
  • 2 c. heavy cream
  • 3-4 T. powdered sugar

Combine the currants and rum in a small bowl and set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and brush a Bundt pan, tube pan, or kugelhopf mold with the melted butter. Be sure every surface is coated with the butter. Warm the milk and pour it into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (You don’t want the milk to kill your poor little yeasty beasties, so not too warm.) Stir in the yeast and 2 tablespoons sugar and allow to sit (proof) for 5 minutes. Add the eggs, flour, salt, and remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Beat the mixture for 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover with a damp towel, and allow dough to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. After the dough has doubled, stir in the currants. Spoon the very sticky dough into the prepared pan, smooth the top, cover with a damp towel, and allow to rise for another 50 minutes to an hour. Place the Baba in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then gently encourage the Baba to release from it’s pan and land gracefully on a serving plate. (Saying “good Baba” whilst releasing Baba from its baking pan always helps, by-the-way!) Meanwhile, while the Baba is baking, prepare the rum syrup that will be poured over the cake when it is out of the oven. Place the remaining 1 cup sugar and 1 1/2 cups of water in a small saucepan. Simmer until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 2/3 cup dark rum and the ½ teaspoon vanilla. Set syrup aside until the cake is out of the oven and on its final resting place. While the cake is still hot, gently and slowly pour or spoon as much of the rum syrup onto the cake as it will absorb. (Don’t be surprised if it sucks up almost all of the liquid. It will be a thirsty little Baba, make no mistake.) You will know when it has had its fill (so to speak), when standing puddles of liquid start appearing on the cake plate. At this point heat the apricot preserves with the 1 tablespoon of water and brush the mixture over every little nook and cranny of the Baba. Let cool completely before serving. When you are ready to serve, whip the heavy cream to hard peaks (not too long or you will end up with butter), add the powdered sugar, and the remaining 2 teaspoons of vanilla and continue whipping just until all ingredients combined.  Serve slices of Baba with a dollop of whipped cream on each piece.

At this point, I think it might be a good idea for me to recommend that before you serve this amazing dessert, you take the time for just one more tiny little preparation. In order for you to be ready to humbly and graciously acknowledge all the glowing compliments you will receive from your guests, you should mentally prepare what I lovingly refer to as an “acceptance” speech. Nothing over the top you realize, just  a conception of how you are going to graciously accept the many compliments you are inevitably going to receive. You might consider, for example, a modest nod to your superior baking skills, perhaps an antidote about how clever you were to find the recipe, an honest statement about how horribly hard this recipe is to prepare, and perhaps close with an endearing comment about how happy it makes you to be able to serve this incredible dessert to those you hold so dear. Like I said, a humble and gracious acknowledgement, nothing over the top!

 

 

DUCK RAGÙ WITH FETTUCCINE

I love duck. To me it is the quintessential poultry. It is extremely delicious and unlike other poultry, it is almost always moist due to its high fat content. (Duck breast meat has about 15 g of fat, while turkey and chicken breast meat contain about 9 g each.)  Don’t get me wrong, I love chicken and turkey too, even an occasional rabbit (sorry all you Bugs Bunny lovers out there). But if my mouth is screaming for a rich poultry experience, it is to the lowly ducky I will go for my fix.  And even though duck meat is more caloric than say chicken, most people tend to eat considerably less of it, again because it is so rich. So therefore, in my considered opinion, do not shy away from duck meat.  If you happen to hear a package of duck breasts calling your name from the frozen food case at your local grocery store, respond by grabbing yourself a four pack. Then, clasping the package firmly in your hands, run (don’t walk) to the nearest check-out stand! Let those babies defrost and try this ragù recipe on for size. You will probably want to include me in your will after you have taken a bite or two, but please don’t. I value my status as a kept woman way too much to have any money of my own!

  • 2 boneless Muskovy or Moulard duck breasts
  • ½ medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • ½ c. dry red wine
  • 2 c. chicken stock
  • 14.5-oz. can chopped tomatoes in juice, San Marzano tomatoes, if possible
  • ½ lb. fettuccine, cooked al dente
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 T. chopped fresh parsley

Trim off a small amount of the skin from around the duck breast. (You want some skin to remain, but not too much.) Slice just through the top of the skin at about ¼-inch intervals in a crisscross pattern. (This will allow the fat to render off while you are cooking the duck.) Pat the duck dry and lightly season with salt and pepper. Pre-heat a non-stick skillet to medium low and gently lay the duck breasts on the hot skillet skin side down. No fat required. Fry until the skins are a deep brown color, about 6-8 minutes. Turn the breasts and cook for about 2 more minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Meanwhile add the onion, garlic, and rosemary to the duck fat. Cook slowly over low heat for about 6 minutes or until the onion is softened and golden brown. Add the wine, bring to a boil and cook until the wine has almost completely evaporated. Return the duck to the skillet, skin side up, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and gently simmer for 1 hour. Transfer the duck to a cutting board. Remove the sauce from the heat and purée with an immersion blender. Return the pan to the heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened a bit. Meanwhile, dice the duck (skin and all) into pieces a bit smaller than a sugar cube.  Add the duck back to the sauce and taste before you season with salt and pepper. (Always taste before you add final seasonings. The sauce may not need any more salt or pepper.) Add the pasta to the sauce and serve immediately garnished with fresh parsley.

Side dish suggestion: a simple green salad and crusty baguette slices

Wine pairing: This ragù can stand up to a hearty Cabernet Sauvignon or a chewy Merlot. Either would be wonderful.