Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

Line a deep roasting dish with foil. Place a rack on top of it. Pat the duck dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Place the duck on the rack, breast-side up, and transfer to the oven for 1 hour.

Remove the duck from the oven and make shallow slits in the skin of the breasts and around the thighs and legs. Return to the oven for an additional 1 hour.

Remove the duck from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes. Once the duck is cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the bones and shred it with your fingers. You can keep as much or as little of the skin as you like. I keep a few small pieces of skin from the breast and thigs that I finally chop to add to the sauce. See Note 2.

You can transfer the shredded duck to an airtight container and refrigerate it overnight, or you can continue with the recipe straight through.

As the duck roasts, prepare the ragú. Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until soft. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the minced garlic and crushed Calabrian chili peppers. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. If you used a whole duck that had a duck neck, add it to the pot now.

Pour in the red wine and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and season with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Cover the pot and simmer for 2 hours. Stir the ragù occasionally, adding chicken stock or water if the ragù reduces too much.

Pick out and discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs from the ragù. Remove and discard the duck neck. Add the shredded duck to the pot and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

As the ragù finishes simmering, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pappardelle and cook according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pappardelle.

Taste the ragù and add more salt and pepper if needed. Add the chopped basil and finely grated Parmesan cheese to the sauce. Once melted, add half the pasta cooking water and bring the ragù to a low boil. Add the cooked pappardelle and toss it to coat with the sauce, adding more pasta cooking water as needed. Turn off the heat.

Transfer the cooked pasta to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle more fresh basil leaves and finely grated Parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy!