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1
Place the duck legs in a nonreactive baking dish and season them with the salt and pepper on all sides.
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2
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to overnight.
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3
Heat the oil and garlic together over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or large saute pan and cook the garlic, stirring constantly to prevent it from browning, until its softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
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4
Stir in the Soffritto and cook it for 1 minute.
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5
Move the vegetables to create a bare spot in the pan, add the tomato paste to that spot, and cook for 1 minute, stirring, to caramelize the tomato paste slightly.
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6
Add the wine, chicken stock, livers, sage, and duck legs and bring the liquid to a boil.
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7
Reduce the heat and simmer the duck legs for about 1 1/2 hours, until the duck is tender and falling off the bones.
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8
Turn off the heat and let the duck cool to room temperature in the braising liquid.
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9
Transfer the duck and the braising liquid to an airtight container, or cover the pot, and refrigerate until you are ready to make the ragu.
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10
You can make the duck to this point up to a day in advance.
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11
Remove the legs from the braising liquid, and pour the liquid into a medium saucepan.
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12
Pull the meat off the bones, discarding the bones, and shred the meat, picking out and discarding any tendons or other unsavory bits as you work the meat through your fingers.
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13
Add the meat to the pan with the braising liquid and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat.
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14
Reduce the heat and simmer the meat in the liquid, breaking it up as it cooks, until the liquid is reduced and the sauce has a thick, ragu-like consistency.
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15
Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if desired.
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16
Use the ragu or allow it to cool to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container, and refrigerate it for up to three days; freeze it for as long as three months.
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17
Warm the ragu over medium heat before serving, adding enough water to loosen it to a saucelike consistency.
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18
To finish the gnocchi, fill a pasta pot or large saucepan with 6 quarts of water, add 6 tablespoons salt, and bring it to a boil over high heat.
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19
If you are not using a pasta pot, place a colander in the sink or have a wire strainer handy for lifting the pasta out of the water.
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20
While the water is coming to a boil, combine 2 cups of ragu with the tomato sauce, butter, and 1/2 cup of the salted pasta water in a large saute pan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and the sauce is warmed through, adding more of the pasta water, if necessary, to obtain a loose, saucelike consistency.
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21
Turn the heat off while you cook the gnocchi.
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22
Remove the gnocchi from the refrigerator and drop them into the boiling water.
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23
Stir to prevent the gnocchi from sticking together, partially cover the pot so the water returns to a boil quickly and continues boiling, and cook the gnocchi for 2 to 3 minutes, until they float to the top.
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24
About 1 minute before the gnocchi is done, place the sauce over high heat.
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25
Lift the gnocchi out of the cooking water, or reserve 1 cup of the water and drain the gnocchi, and immediately add them to the pan with the sauce.
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26
Cook the gnocchi with the sauce for 2 minutes, stirring gently with a rubber spatula so you dont smash the gnocchi, adding some of the reserved water if necessary for the sauce to be glistening and to easily coat the gnocchi.
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27
Turn off the heat and gently stir in the parsley.
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28
Add the finishing-quality olive oil, stirring vigorously and shaking the pan to emulsify the sauce.
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29
Add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino romano and stir to combine.
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30
Spoon the gnocchi onto each of eight plates, dividing them evenly, and spoon any sauce remaining in the pan over the gnocchi.
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31
Use a microplane or another fine grater to grate a light layer of Parmigiano-Reggiano over each plate, and serve.
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32
Barbera d Asti (Piedmont)
