From the Chef's Kitchen: Dirty Pasta

Exclusive recipes, shared only with Pittsburgh Magazine, from some of Pittsburgh's Best Restaurants and chefs. This tasty pasta dish comes from the kitchen of Butcher and the Rye Downtown.

Photo by chuck Beard

Ingredients
Olive oil to sauté 
12 ounces ground duck (you can ask your butcher to grind duck breasts for you)
4 ounces duck liver
4 tablespoons shallot, diced
4 teaspoons garlic
½ cup Cognac
1 cup duck stock (you can use chicken stock)
12 ounces strozzapretti pasta 
6 tablespoons butter, or to taste
4 teaspoons fresh sage
Pecorino Romano, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Quality extra-virgin olive oil, to garnish 
Parsley, to garnish

Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions; al dente is recommended.
Heat a large sauté pan and add the olive oil.
Once hot, add the ground duck and liver and lightly brown.
Add shallots and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Do not brown the garlic and shallots.
Deglaze the pan with Cognac. Reduce by half.
Add duck stock and reduce by half.
Add cooked pasta and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Whisk in butter. Add sage.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add Pecorino Romano.
Serve in bowls and garnish with olive oil and parsley.
Serves 4.

Homemade Duck Stock
Ingredients
Bones of one duck 
½ onion
1 carrot
4 stalks celery
½ leek
Bunch parsley stems
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1 bunch thyme
1 bay leaf

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put bones in roasting pan and cook for 1 hour.
Add the onions, celery and carrot and cook until lightly browned. Then put roasted bones and veggies in a pot.
Cover with cold water and add leek, parsley stems, peppercorns, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a light simmer, and cook for 1½ hours.
Strain stock and add the liquid back to the pot; reduce by half to produce an intense duck flavor.

Butcher and The Rye
212 Sixth St., downtown; 412/391-2752, butcherandtherye.com. Read more in Best Restaurants 2016.