There is a story behind this pasta and it starts with eggs. Good eggs are a vital part of our business, so I am often visiting farms and seeking out the best eggs our area has to offer. Eggs are one of those things that really cannot be produced in a large quantity if you want to have a high quality product. As a result, we get our eggs from a few different suppliers at any given time. You meet all sorts of people at small egg farms. One day, I was visiting a small family operation in the area. I had spoken to one of them on the phone and arranged a visit to their farm. Shortly after arriving, I realized that things were ‘off’. They didn’t have any chickens - just cows and ducks - and they were blatantly racist, and insisted on bringing up the topic of race in every conversation. I wasn’t sure why they had lied to me about having eggs, but I came up with an excuse to leave quickly. Before I left, the wife gave me a couple ducks as a gift for my time. It was a bazaar situation and I haven’t spoken with them since that day.
Anyway, we are pasta makers - so when life gives us ducks….we make duck pasta. We happened to have some foie gras in our fridge, so we experimented and came up with this filling. I didn’t expect the pasta to go over too well, as many people in the area seem to be scared of eating duck. I was wrong. We sold out quickly, and all week I was getting phone calls and emails about when it will be offered again. It is to this day our most popular pasta at the farmer’s markets.
This is a very rich pasta and it generally isn't meant to be served as a huge meal in and of itself. I rarely eat more than four pieces of it myself. It can be served simply in a poultry broth or just with some brown butter and sage. We have a video tutorial on how to make brown butter and sage in the Cooking Instructions section of our site.
Here is a different recipe using asparagus. Our menu has a side of asparagus at the moment, which also goes great with this dish and makes preparing it simpler. Just chop up the asparagus and warm it up with a little EVOO or water.
Foie Gras and Duck Cappelletti with Asparagus and Brown Butter
*serves 2
- One package of our Duck and Foie Gras Cappelletti
- 2c Asparagus, cut into 1 inch peices
- 3Tbs Butter
- 1 tsp Keepwell Ginger Vinegar, or other vinegar
- 2tbs Grated Parmesan
- 6 Orange Segments (optional)
- Bring 3qts water and 1.5tbs sea salt to a soft boil.
- Add the asparagus to the water and cook until done, about 3-6 minuted depending on the thickness.
- Remove the asparagus and gently add the pasta to the simmering water. The pasta will be done in about 5-6 minutes.
- In another small pot, while the pasta is cooking, heat the butter on medium heat.
- It will turn golden brown and start to smoke a little. Take off the heat, add the asparagus, and let it sit while the pasta finishes cooking.
- Strain the pasta when done and divide between two plates or bowls.
- Add the vinegar to the brown butter and asparagus and use a spoon to pour on top of the pasta.
- Decorate with the orange segments and top with the parmesan.