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"Making pasta is not as difficult as people think," Chef Frank assures. He uses Italian 00 flour for silkiness and wild nettles for green pasta dough with a taste like tangy spinach.

Chef Frank incorporates multiple duck products: duck eggs, duck legs and rendered duck fat. Duck eggs are bigger and richer than chicken eggs because ducks eat different things than chickens. Duck confit is a way of curing and preserving the duck legs: You cure the meat with coarse salt, which takes out moisture and flavors the duck. You cook it in its own fat and store it in its own fat.

Watch the video for Chef Frank's demo, and get the complete ravioli recipe below.

Study pasta making with Chef Frank in Culinary Arts at ICE.

Recipe

Duck Ravioli

Yields 6 servings

Duck Confit

Ingredients

• 4 duck legs, thigh bone removed
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 1 bunch thyme
• 5 dry bay leaves
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 cups salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 quarts rendered duck fat

Directions

1. Mix shallots, thyme, bay leaves, black pepper, salt and sugar in a bowl.
2. Put a thick layer of the salt mixture in a hotel pan. Rub the legs with the salt on both sides with the salt mixture then lay them flesh side down on the bed of salt.
3. Top the legs with the rest of the salt mixture.
4. Cover and let sit for 12 to 24 hours.
5. Melt duck fat in a Dutch oven.
6. Remove duck legs from the salt mixture, rinse in water and pat dry. Add the legs to the fat flesh side down.
7. Put in a 250 F oven until tender.

Ravioli Dough

Ingredients

• 3 duck eggs
• 3 cups nettle leaves
• 1 pound “00” flour
• Salt

Directions

1. Place nettle leaves in cold water and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Remove from the water and blanch in boiling water for about 1 minute.
3. Chill in ice water. Squeeze out all excess water and add to a blender with the duck eggs and a large pinch of salt. Puree until smooth.
4. Put the flour on a bench or cutting board and make a large well. Pour the duck egg and nettle mixture in the center and start to work it into the flour. Mix enough flour in to make a stiff dough (you may not need all of the flour).

Ravioli Filling

Ingredients

• 4 duck legs, picked and rough chop (see above)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
• 1/4 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/2 cup mascarpone
• 1 duck egg
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

1. Mix duck meat, Parmesan, thyme, mascarpone and duck egg in a bowl, season with salt and pepper.

Assembly

• Bench flour
• Pasta dough
• Filling
• Egg wash
• 4 duck eggs, for garnish

Directions

1. Roll the pasta dough as thin as the machine will go, then split into two pieces.
2. Brush the first piece with a light layer of egg wash. Put a large spoonful of the filling in small piles on the dough. Make a small well in each pile.
3. Separate the yolks from the duck eggs and place in the well.
4. Cover with the other piece of dough and crimp around the filling.
5. Cut with the large round cutter. Place on a floured sheet tray.
6. Boil a pot of salted water, place ravioli in water and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove from water, and reserve water for sauce (see below).

Ravioli Sauce

Ingredients

• 4-6 ounces butter
• 1/2-3/4 cup Parmesan, grated
• Black pepper
• Pasta water

Directions

1. Put 3 to 4 ounces of pasta water in a pan. Add the butter and melt.
2. Add the ravioli and let cook briefly until the sauce thickens lightly.
3. Add half of the cheese, shut off the heat and swirl the pan to incorporate the cheese.
4. Season, serve with fresh cracked black pepper and top with grated cheese.

Learn more about earning a Culinary Arts diploma — complete with plenty of pasta making — at ICE.