Venison Bolognese Pasta Sauce

Servings: 6 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 8 hours

Bolognese has always been a comfort food for me. I usually make a big batch every fall with whatever ground meat we have on hand and freeze bags of it for easy weeknight meals. This venison bolognese is a family favorite that I love to have on hand!

Ingredients: – pancetta (or bacon) – onion – garlic – carrots – celery – ground venison – salt and pepper – olive oil – red wine – whole milk – diced tomatoes – tomato paste – parmesan rind – pasta – fresh basil, for garnish – freshly grated parmesan cheese

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pancetta to the pan and cook until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside.

Turn the heat down to low. If there isn't much rendered fat from the pancetta in the pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Then, add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery to the pan. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Don't allow the vegetables to brown.

Add ground meat to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Break up the chunks and cook until the meat is browned, about 10 minutes. Add cooked pancetta back to the pan.

Then, add the wine to the pan. Cook until the wine has evaporated, about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the milk to the pan. Cook until the milk has evaporated, about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add in tomatoes, tomato paste, and parmesan rind. Simmer on very low heat for 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally. If the sauce starts to get dry, add in some water a couple of tablespoons at a time.

Serve with tagliatelle pasta. Top with fresh basil and parmesan cheese. Enjoy!