Solid Gold Eats: Quick, Easy Duck Pasta

People ask me if I cook every day of the week because of my recipe column. The question is usually followed with presumptions that I whip up pot pies and mile high cakes on a daily basis. While I do cook quite often, I get just as tired and overwhelmed in the kitchen as anyone else, especially when the dirty dishes pile up.

Every home cook needs a few recipes that pack in flavor without having to spend hours prepping ingredients or waiting for something to cook. Today’s recipe combines pantry staples such as pasta, lemon, garlic and butter with easy to cook duck legs and healthy Swiss chard.

Duck can be intimidating to people who have not cooked it, so I suggest starting with duck legs, which are similar to the dark meat of chicken thighs. Seared in a skillet to render fat, followed by roasting in the oven, duck legs take little time to cook but can change up the dinner menu from the usual chicken breast. Minced garlic is cooked in the duck fat and added into the pasta with lemon juice and Parmesan cheese for an easy, frugal sauce. Even for a duck leg beginner, this recipe can be on the table within 40 minutes. And once you take a bite, you will forget all about the long work day and instead smile about your new weeknight recipe.

Duck Leg Pasta with Swiss Chard

2 duck legs

Salt and black pepper

½ pound dried spaghetti

1 large bunch swiss chard

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon butter

1 lemon

½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a large iron skillet over medium high heat. Pat the duck legs dry with a paper towel and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Sear the duck legs skin side down for 10 minutes. Turn the duck legs over and place the iron skillet in the oven. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove and let cool. Using your fingers or a fork, shred the duck meat and discard the fat.

2. Place the iron skillet over medium heat and add the minced garlic, butter and juice from half a lemon. Cook until garlic has browned, about 3-4 minutes. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat.

3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water and cook the pasta until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Roughly tear the swiss chard leaves off the stems. When about five minutes has passed, add the chard to the boiling pasta.

4. Drain the pasta and chard reserving ½ cup of water. Return the pasta and chard to the pot. Toss in the shredded duck meat, garlic and lemon from the skillet with ¼ cup of parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed, adding more pasta water if the sauce is too dry. Serve with additional parmesan cheese for topping.