Lasagna sheets recipe with Duck and Roasted Carrots- It is absolutely okay to let other people host Pasta Friday! Having guests at your house every Friday, or even once a month, can quickly feel like a chore, and a stressful chore at that, and can take all of the enjoyment out of the tradition. So if friends ever suggest hosting a Pasta Friday at their house, take them up on it! Our friends Laura and Ara offered one week when I was especially drained and not in the mood to have twenty-five kids at my house, and I was SO grateful. And, Ara makes the most incredible bread in his backyard, wood-burning oven.
I made lasagna, because I could assemble it at home and bake it in their oven for a low-stress dinner. And I made this lasagna in particular, because it’s decadent, comforting, and elegant, and so out of the ordinary. Fresh pasta sheets work best, but don’t feel obligated to make them—just pick up fresh sheets from an Italian market or grocery store.
Ingredients
- DUCK RAGÙ
- 1 whole duck (about 4 pounds), quartered
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 large white onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 ½ cups dry white wine
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes, with juices
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram
- Pasta Shapes: Only Lasagna Sheets!
Roasted Carrots
- 5 large carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch rounds, about 3 cups
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Assembly
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound fresh lasagna sheets (homemade or store-bought; dried sheets work in a pinch)
- Butter, for greasing
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated Pecorino Romano
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
How to Make Lasagna sheets with Duck and Roasted Carrots
- To make the ragù, season the duck quarters all over with salt and pepper.
- Pour the olive oil into a large, heavy pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the duck, and sear on all sides until some fat has rendered and the duck is browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer the duck to a plate and decrease the heat to medium.
- Add the garlic, carrots, celery, and onions to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, scraping up any bits on the Add the tomato paste and cook for about 3 minutes, until caramelized. Return the duck to the pot. Add the wine ½ cup at a time, letting it cook until most of the wine has evaporated before the next addition, about 15 minutes total, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and juices from the can, breaking apart the tomatoes with your hands as you add them to the pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper, and when it starts to boil, decrease the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
- To make the roasted carrots, preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the carrot slices on a baking sheet, add the oil, pepper, and salt, and toss to evenly coat. Roast the carrots for 15 minutes, until they just begin to Remove the carrots from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350°F.
- Remove the duck pieces from the sauce and let cool slightly. Discard the skin and remaining fat, and shred the meat from the bones (this is a bit of a pain). Return the meat to the sauce, stir in the marjoram, and simmer over low heat while you assemble the rest of the ingredients.
- To assemble, fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of Cook the pasta sheets for only 20 seconds, drain, and quickly place the sheets in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain them again.
- Grease a 9 by 13-inch Lasagna pan with In a large bowl, mix the two cheeses together.
- Spread a thin layer of the duck ragù on the bottom of the pan, and cover with a layer of Spread another layer of ragù, followed by a thin layer of carrots and a layer of cheese. Repeat with a layer of pasta, ragù, carrots, and cheese, and repeat the layers until the pan is full (you’ll have about five layers). Finish with a layer of sauce and a final layer of cheese (no carrots). Don’t cut the excess pasta around the edges as you’re layering. Fold them inward, like piecrust, to create a ruffled top that’s crispy and delicious!
- Bake for 35 minutes, lightly covered with aluminum Remove the foil and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and bubbly. Let stand for about 10 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle the parsley on top. Cut into squares and serve.
Serve With: crushed Calabrian chiles in oil, grated Pecorino Romano.
