
An indulgent Fusilli Pasta and Goose Ragu recipe optimises every ounce of meat from a roast goose, duck or rabbit dish. It is a rich sauce, so you don’t need too much to coat your favourite pasta.
Fusilli or Pappardelle Pasta
Here, I’ve used wholemeal fusilli (it was close to hand), but spaghetti, fettuccine, or pappardelle are even better.
We roasted this year’s Christmas goose on a bed of fennel, apples and celery, all of which went into the stock. We also had a second goose-roasted onion seasoned with Palestinian Nine Spice and orange. So it was an outstanding stock and needed to be treated with respect.


Goose or Duck Stock for the Ragu
To make the stock add enough water to cover the carcass and bring it to a boil; cover and leave to simmer for at least an hour, preferably two or three. By all means, add celery, onions and carrots if you don’t feel you don’t have enough vegetable flavour. Even add any remaining sauce or gravy and vegetables. Nothing wasted.
Strain, cool and leave it in the fridge. You can then remove the solidified fat to make roast potatoes. You are left with a delicious stock, ideal for this ragu or the Celeriac soup with Chicken Dumplings.
The ragu is delicate; ensure you grate or finely chop all the vegetables and cook slowly. It is easy to make but needs a little love and time.
I made this to use the rest of the goose, but you could also slow roast duck legs and shred the meat for the sauce.
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Fusilli Pasta with Goose Ragu
Ingredients
- 450 minced cooked goose (add any giblets or liver)
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 carrot finely grated
- 1 stick celery including leaves finely chopped
- 125 ml red wine
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ small orange – juiced and zest of approximately a quarter
- 1 tsp finely chopped sage
- 1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
- pinch cinnamon
- pinch chilli flakes optional
- 1 clove finely grated garlic optional
- approx 400ml rich stock – ideally goose or duck depending on the meat
- olive oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Saute the onion until translucent, add the celery and carrot and continue cooking until soft.
- Add the goose meat and all the spices and orange zest, brown and add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Add a dash of stock and half of the red wine; stir and simmer gently until the wine is absorbed. Add the orange juice .
- Continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Add a tablespoon of tomato paste and the rest of the red wine; when this is absorbed, start adding the stock.
- Simmer for a good 10 minutes ,taste and add more stock, tomato paste, salt and pepper as needed. You probably will not need any more tomato paste – at this point it is down to your own preference.
- Cook the pasta of choice and serve tossed in the sauce with parmesan.
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