Venison Italian Sausage Bake

Fresh tomatoes and basil shine in this pasta dish

This recipe gives you a great opportunity to start cleaning out your freezer for the upcoming deer season. It incorporates last year’s venison harvest along with garden-fresh tomatoes and basil that can be found in many gardens throughout the South. The Italian sausage that I use is made with venison; however, any store-bought Italian sausage can be used. It also incorporates red pepper flakes for a bit of culinary heat. You can obviously refrain from using the pepper if you are heat sensitive. Wheat pasta can also be used for those that are dieting.

INGREDIENTS:

• 16 oz penne pasta (cooked according to the package)
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 ½ lbs venison Italian sausage (loose, not in the case)
• 2 ½ cups mozzarella cheese (grated)
• 1 shallot (finely chopped)
• 5 medium tomatoes (rough chopped)
• 4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 2 tsp fresh basil (chopped)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

PREPARATION: Serves 4

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Brown sausage in Dutch oven and crumble during cooking.
3. Remove sausage and set aside.
4. Add olive oil to a Dutch oven and cook shallots until translucent over medium heat.
5. Add garlic to shallots and cook for 1 minute.
6. Add chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes stirring constantly to break down tomatoes.
7. Add all seasonings and herbs.
8. Return sausage to Dutch oven, cover and cook for 10 minutes on low heat.
9. Add cooked pasta and 2 cups of cheese to Dutch oven and stir to incorporate.
10. Transfer all ingredients from the Dutch oven to your greased baking dish.
11. Spread evenly and cover with remaining cheese.
12. Cover with aluminum foil.
13. Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until all cheese is melted.

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