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1
Soak the mushrooms in 1 cup hot water, 10 minutes.
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2
Pulse the pancetta, onion, carrot, celery, thyme and sage in a food processor to make a chunky paste.
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3
Pat the duck legs dry and season with salt.
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4
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat.
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5
Add the duck legs, skin-side down, and cook until brown on both sides, about 7 minutes per side.
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6
Transfer the duck legs to a plate and pour off all but a thin layer of oil from the pot.
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7
Drain the mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid, then finely chop.
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8
Add the pancetta paste to the pot, season with salt and cook, stirring, until the paste is dry and sticks to the pot, 5 to 7 minutes.
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9
Clear a space in the pot and add the tomato paste; cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, then add the bay leaves and mushrooms and stir all the ingredients together.
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10
Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon.
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11
Cook until the wine thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
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12
Return the duck legs to the pot along with 4 cups water and the reserved mushroom soaking liquid.
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13
Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the duck is tender, about 1 hour, 20 minutes.
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14
Transfer the duck legs to a plate to cool.
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15
Skim the fat from the cooking liquid and discard; bring the remaining liquid to a boil and cook until reduced to about 3 cups, about 12 minutes.
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16
Discard the skin and bones from the duck; shred the meat and add it to the reduced sauce.
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17
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
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18
Return the ragu to a simmer.
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19
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes.
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20
Remove with a slotted spoon or skimmer and add directly to the ragu, tossing to coat the pasta with the sauce.
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21
Drizzle with olive oil and toss again.
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22
Remove from the heat, sprinkle with the parsley and parmesan, and toss.
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23
Photograph by Anna Williams
