Venison Bolognese
A lean, ground venison bolognese built to stay tender. Bell pepper stands in for tomato paste, and it simmers for about an hour, not all day. Serve it over pappardelle or your favorite pasta.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground venison
- 2 red bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 cup onions, roughly chopped
- ⅔ cups carrots, peeled and rough chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup dry red wine
- ½ cup venison stock or chicken stock
- 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Finely chop the carrots, onions, bell peppers, and celery. Mince the garlic.
- Heat a pot with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables and minced garlic. Cook until they become fragrant and tender, around 6 to 8 minutes.
- Increase the temperature to medium-high and add the ground venison. Season with salt and black pepper. Break up the meat into small pieces using a wooden spoon. Cook until the meat has lightly browned, around 5 to 8 minutes.
- Pour in the red wine and simmer until it's nearly evaporated. Around 3 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and stock. Stir to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the sauce has slightly thickened, around 30 minutes.
- Add the fresh basil and parsley and simmer for 5 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
NOTES
- For a richer sauce: If you want a sauce closer to a traditional bolognese, stir in a 1/4 cup of heavy cream or whole milk after the venison has browned, and the wine has reduced. Let it simmer until mostly absorbed, then continue with the recipe.
- Sauce Freezes Well: This venison bolognese tastes even better after a night in the fridge and holds beautifully in the freezer for up to 3 months in airtight containers or bags.
- Fat Content Tip: Ground venison is naturally lean. For more depth, use a grind with 10-15% fat content. Or try adding 4 ounces of finely chopped pancetta or bacon to the pot when browning the venison.
- Fresh Herbs: Fresh basil and Italian parsley give the sauce bright flavor. Want something different? Thyme or oregano make great substitutes.
- Pasta Pairing: Best with wide noodles like pappardelle, tagliatelle, or rigatoni. The hearty sauce clings perfectly to these shapes.
- Meal Prep Win: Double this recipe. It reheats beautifully and feeds you all week. Ideal for batch cooking or weekly dinners.
Nutrition
Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 413mg | Potassium: 1280mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 6223IU | Vitamin C: 105mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 7mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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