Passalacqua Winery

Venison Bolognese

Recipe by Ryan Sparks

This is one of our favorite wild game recipes. We have been making it for over a decade, and it is still a regular in our kitchen. We have made it using whitetail deer, elk, and pronghorn and it always turns out well. This straightforward recipe is great for company or for just enjoying a nice meal at home. The rich Bolognese sauce brings out the natural flavors of wild game. A perfect complement to the bright acidity of Passalacqua’s Sedici Super-Tuscan blend.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes of active cooking, 4 hours of waiting.
Serves 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more if needed and to finish)
4 tablespoons butter
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
4 small (or 2 large) carrots, finely diced
2 large celery stalks, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, finely diced
4.5 oz. pancetta (bacon also works)
2.25 lbs. ground venison (whitetail, mule deer, elk, antelope, caribou, etc.)
1 cup white wine (such as Passalacqua's Fiano)
2 cups whole milk
28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes
1 cup venison stock (beef stock also works)
Pasta of choice (something that holds a sauce well)
Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil for garnish
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Place a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat and add the pancetta, cooking for around five minutes. Add the olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic with a pinch of salt and cook for another 10 minutes.
Raise the heat to high and add the ground venison, one third at a time. Adding the meat little by little encourages browning and prevents the ground meat from steaming. This will take some time. Keep an eye on the mixtures, stirring when needed to prevent burning. Browning the meat well is the most important aspect of this recipe.
When the meat is browned, deglaze the pan with white wine. Don’t forget to pour yourself a glass as well.
Add the canned tomatoes and their liquid, milk, stock, 1 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper. For the tomatoes, squeeze them with your hands while adding them to the pot.
Simmer for around 4 hours over low heat until the Bolognese has thickened to your desired consistency.
Cook your pasta of choice according to the directions on the box.
To serve, toss the butter into the Bolognese and stir until combined. Combine the pasta and Bolognese sauce in shallow bowls and finish with additional olive oil and grated parmesan cheese. If your basil leaves are small, scatter them across the bowls. If your basil is large, tear the leaves.