Name: Palomba alla ghiotta, home-oven version
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 pieces Whole farmed pigeons (food-grade, oven-ready and eviscerated, about 450 g each); 250 g Dry red wine; 100 g Pancetta (diced); 50 g Prosciutto crudo (diced); 80 g Chicken livers (cleaned, trimmed and finely chopped); 80 g Extra virgin olive oil (60 g sauce;20 g birds); 30 ml White wine vinegar; 12 g Garlic (peeled); 2 g Sage leaves; 2 g Rosemary (small sprigs); 0.5 g Juniper berries (lightly crushed); 4 g Fine salt (2 g birds;2 g sauce); 1 g Ground black pepper (0.5 g birds;0.5 g sauce)

Use birds of similar size and check the meat and filling with a thermometer before carving.

Make ahead Prepare the sauce while the birds roast. Serve the finished pigeon hot and refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly in shallow containers.

By Italia Magnifica · Updated October 2026

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 55 min
Rest: 5 min
Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium

Palomba alla ghiotta, home-oven version

Prep 20 min · Cook 55 min · Rest 5 min · Serves 2 · Difficulty Medium

Ingredients

Skip to the method

2 servings

2 pieces2 pieces
Whole farmed pigeonsfood-grade, oven-ready and eviscerated, about 450 g eachfood-grade, oven-ready and eviscerated, about 16 oz each
250 g9 oz
Dry red wine
100 g3½ oz
Pancettadiceddiced
50 g1¾ oz
Prosciutto crudodiceddiced
80 g2¾ oz
Chicken liverscleaned, trimmed and finely choppedcleaned, trimmed and finely chopped
80 g2¾ oz
Extra virgin olive oil60 g sauce;20 g birds2 oz sauce;¾ oz birds
30 ml2 tbsp
White wine vinegar
12 g½ oz
Garlicpeeledpeeled
2 g2 g
Sage leaves
2 g2 g
Rosemarysmall sprigssmall sprigs
0.5 g0.5 g
Juniper berrieslightly crushedlightly crushed
4 g⅔ tsp
Fine salt2 g birds;2 g sauce2 g birds;2 g sauce
1 g½ tsp
Ground black pepper0.5 g birds;0.5 g sauce0.5 g birds;0.5 g sauce

Equipment

30 × 24 cm covered roasting pan rated for 250°C
Two 2-liter saucepans
Fine strainer
Food thermometer
Kitchen twine
Knife and cutting board
Small-weight scales accurate to 0.1 g

Method

Heat the conventional oven to 250°C. Pat the oven-ready birds dry with paper towels. Divide the diced pancetta between their cavities without packing it tightly, then tie the legs. Rub the birds with 20 g oil, 2 g salt and 0.5 g pepper.Heat the conventional oven to 475°F. Pat the oven-ready birds dry with paper towels. Divide the diced pancetta between their cavities without packing it tightly, then tie the legs. Rub the birds with ¾ oz oil, 2 g salt and 0.5 g pepper.
Set the birds in the covered roasting pan in one uncrowded layer and roast for 25 minutes. Meanwhile put the wine, vinegar, remaining 60 g oil, chopped livers, prosciutto, garlic, sage, rosemary and juniper in the saucepan. Add the remaining 2 g salt and 0.5 g pepper.Set the birds in the covered roasting pan in one uncrowded layer and roast for 25 minutes. Meanwhile put the wine, vinegar, remaining 2 oz oil, chopped livers, prosciutto, garlic, sage, rosemary and juniper in the saucepan. Add the remaining 2 g salt and 0.5 g pepper.
Bring the sauce to a steady simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring, until the wine has reduced by roughly a quarter and the liver is cooked through. Strain into a clean pan, pressing lightly to recover the liquid.Bring the sauce to a steady simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring, until the wine has reduced by roughly a quarter and the liver is cooked through. Strain into a clean pan, pressing lightly to recover the liquid.
After the first 25 minutes, pour the sauce around the birds, cover again and lower the oven to 230°C. Roast for about 20 minutes more. Check that the thickest breast, inner thigh and center of the filling have all reached 74°C, avoiding contact between the probe and bone. Continue cooking if needed.After the first 25 minutes, pour the sauce around the birds, cover again and lower the oven to 450°F. Roast for about 20 minutes more. Check that the thickest breast, inner thigh and center of the filling have all reached 165.2°F, avoiding contact between the probe and bone. Continue cooking if needed.
Lift out the birds and rest for 5 minutes. Pour their sauce and roasting juices into the saucepan. Remove the twine, cut each bird into serving pieces and return the meat and pancetta to the sauce. Warm together at a gentle simmer for about 10 minutes, spooning the sauce over the meat, then serve. Keep bird size and an uncrowded pan when changing quantity.Lift out the birds and rest for 5 minutes. Pour their sauce and roasting juices into the saucepan. Remove the twine, cut each bird into serving pieces and return the meat and pancetta to the sauce. Warm together at a gentle simmer for about 10 minutes, spooning the sauce over the meat, then serve. Keep bird size and an uncrowded pan when changing quantity.