Duck Ragu Pappardelle (Braised Duck Pasta)

Season 800 g duck legs with salt and pepper and leave them for 10 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat and sear the duck without moving it too early, allowing a dark brown crust to form. Transfer the legs out while leaving the browned material in the pan. Add 1 onion, 1 carrot, and 1 celery stalk, then cook over medium heat for 8 minutes. Stir and scrape gently so the vegetables soften and become sweet without burning the base. Add 4 garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, until the paste darkens slightly. Pour in 200 ml dry red wine, scrape the bottom thoroughly, and reduce the wine by half to remove its harsh alcohol edge. Return the duck, add 500 ml chicken stock and 1 bay leaf, and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover, lower the heat, and maintain only small bubbles for 90 minutes so the meat tenderizes without a hard boil. When it separates from the bone easily, remove the duck, shred it along the grain, and return the meat to the sauce. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, until the ragu coats a spoon rather than running like broth. Boil 320 g pappardelle until 2 minutes short of al dente. Toss it in the ragu with a small splash of pasta water for 1 minute and serve when the sauce adheres to the broad noodles. The ragu can be made a day ahead, chilled, and reheated before cooking the pasta.