Tagliatelle with Rich Three Meat Sauce

Last night was Italian night. Think of this as spaghetti on steroids. Its hearty and rich, cooked with three types of meat such as ground venison, pancetta and the ever suspicious chicken liver. But dont worry, this dish doesnt have too much liver in it-- just enough to give the Three-Meat Sauce an extra something special. Rick despises liver, but I talked him into adding some. In the end, he thought it tasted good. So, try this dish tonight if youve got any leftover ground venison in the freezer. We know most of you are running low. Have no fear! Fall hunting should be starting up again soon! But of course you knew that. We bet many of you are crossing off the days on your calendars. 

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients:

- 4 tbs. olive oil, extra for drizzling

- 3 ounces of pancetta (or lean bacon), diced 

- 1 onion, chopped

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 1 carrot, chopped

- 1 celery stalk, chopped

- 1/2 lb. ground venison

- 1/4 cup of chicken liver, chopped

- 1 cup of crushed tomatoes

- 1/2 cup dry white wine, like Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay

- 1 cup beef stock

- 1/2 tbs. dried oregano

- 1 bay leaf

- 1 lb. dried tagliatelle (pasta)

- salt and pepper, to taste

- grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Pancetta is basically Italian bacon. Find it at your local Italian deli. You can also find it at some regular grocery stores. 

1. Over medium-heat, heat 4 tbs. of olive oil in a large heavy-bottom saucepan. Add chopped pancetta and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until just turning brown. Stir occasionally.

2. Next, add chopped onion, carrot, celery and minced garlic. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

3. Then turn the heat up to high. Add ground venison and cook for 5 minutes, or until browned. Break up meat with a wooden spoon. 

4. After venison is browned, stir in chopped chicken liver.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

5. Then, pour in 1 cup of beef stock and 1/2 cup of dry white wine...

Add 1 cup of pureed tomatoes... 

1/2 tbs. of dried oregano...

And 1 bay leaf. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until sauce reaches desired thickness. 

6. Meanwhile, bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the tagliatelle pasta. Bring back to a boil. Cook according to package directions until tender but firm, al dente. 

Dried tagliatelle pasta look like little "nests."

In packages that look like this. 

Drain cooked pasta and transfer to a warm serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss well. 

7. Ladle sauce over pasta. 

Toss again. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan. 

Thanks for looking, everyone! Remember to share Food for Hunters with all your hunting buddies.  







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