Crispy Venison and Creamy Summer Corn Pasta
This venison pasta brings together crispy shredded deer meat and a creamy corn sauce for a dish that feels both rustic and elevated. Braised boneless venison seared until golden, then tossed with pasta and a sauce of fresh summer corn, cream, and Parmesan.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless venison, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 quarts stock, (chicken or venison stock)
- 12 ounces dry pasta (orecchiette or rigatoni work great)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (Can substitute coconut cream)
- 1 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- Fresh basil, for garnishing
Instructions
Braise the Venison
- To a pot, add cubed venison and enough stock to cover. Simmer covered until fork-tender, about 1.5 hours. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Boil the Pasta
- While the venison cooks, boil pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and discard the rest. Toss pasta with one tablespoon of the olive oil in a large bowl. Set aside.
Crisp the Venison
- In a hot sauté pan, add the remaining olive oil. Cooked venison on all sides until golden brown. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside. Save the pan to make the sauce.
Make the Sauce
- In the same pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onion and chile flakes, cooking until soft (2-3 minutes). Add corn and cook 3 minutes more. Add 1/4 cup reserved pasta water and cook another 5 minutes.
- Transfer corn mixture (reserving 1/2 cup) to a blender. Add coconut cream and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Combine to Complete the Dish
- Return the pasta, venison, corn puree, and reserved corn to the pan. Stir in around 2/3 of the cheese and stir gently to combine. Add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin out if needed.
Plate and Garnish
- Plate the pasta and garnish with the cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and remaining cheese. Serve immediately.
NOTES
- Use the right cuts. Boneless shoulder, shank, or neck are the best fits because they braise well and crisp up nicely afterward. Ground venison or mild venison sausage can work if you want a shortcut.
- Braise the venison until fork-tender. Simmer it covered in enough stock to cover for about 1 1/2 hours, then drain and pat it dry well before it goes into the hot pan. That is what lets it crisp instead of steam.
- Cook the pasta just to al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then toss the pasta with a little olive oil so it does not clump while the rest of the dish comes together.
- Crisp the meat in a hot pan. Brown the cooked venison until golden before making the sauce. Do it in batches if needed, so it sears instead of piling up and steaming.
- Build the corn sauce gently. Cook the onion and chile flakes until soft, then the corn, then add a little pasta water before blending part of it with the cream. Reserve some whole corn to improve the texture of the finished pasta.
- Thin the sauce as needed. When you combine the pasta, venison, corn puree, reserved corn, and cheese, use some of the reserved pasta water if the sauce seems too thick.
- Prep components ahead. The venison, corn sauce, and pasta can be made a day ahead and stored separately, then rewarmed together gently before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 890kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 153mg | Sodium: 2536mg | Potassium: 800mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1942IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 342mg | Iron: 6mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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