Venison Ragu with Pappardelle
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
3 hrs
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Marinating Time
3 hrs
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Total Time
6 hrs 20 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
755 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Venison Ragu with Pappardelle
Description
The recipe begins by marinating venison chunks in dry white wine for several hours, which tenderizes the meat and adds complexity. The venison is then browned with a soffritto base of onions, carrots, and celery sautéed in olive oil. Garlic is briefly browned and removed to impart flavor without bitterness. Red wine is added to deglaze and reduce, followed by the addition of juniper berries, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves, black pepper, and tomato passata.
The sauce simmers gently for about three hours, allowing the venison to become tender and the flavors to meld. Water or game stock can be added as needed to maintain sauce consistency. The resulting ragu is rich and deeply flavored with a balance of sweet, savory, and aromatic notes.
This sauce is ideally served over pappardelle, tagliatelle, or fettucine, but can also be paired with short pasta shapes like penne or farfalle. Using slow-cooking cuts of venison like shoulder, leg, or neck ensures tenderness. The recipe suggests optionally using a herb sachet to facilitate removal of spices after cooking, though it is not mandatory.
Ingredients
- 14.1 oz pappardelle or tagliatelle pasta
- 1.1 lbs venison cut into small chunks (shoulder is good)
- 1 onion peeled and finely chopped
- 2 carrot cleaned and finely chopped
- 1-2 celery cleaned and finely chopped, stalk
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- ⅘ cup white wine dry
- ⅘ cup red wine
- ⅘ cup water or game stock
- 2 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaf
- 8 juniper berries
- black pepper to taste
- salt for pasta and to taste
- 10 ½ oz tomato passata or fresh ripe tomatoes peeled and seeds removed
- 3-4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Place the venison chunks in a large bowl with the dry white wine. Allow to marinate for 2-3 hours in the fridge.
- In a deep frying pan or Dutch oven, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Fry the garlic clove until it starts to brown slightly, then remove and discard the garlic. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery to the pan, cooking until they start to soften.
- Remove the venison from the marinade (discard the wine) and add to the pan with vegetables. Cook for a few minutes until the meat browns on all sides.
- Increase the heat and add the red wine, allowing the alcohol to evaporate slightly. Add the juniper berries, cinnamon stick, cloves, black pepper, bay leaves, and tomato passata.
- Cover and simmer on very low heat for about 3 hours, adding water, beef or game stock if the sauce gets too thick. Season with salt as needed.
- When the ragu is nearly done, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, then bring to a boil again and cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions. Reserve a cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
- If the ragu appears too thick, adjust its consistency with the reserved pasta cooking water.
- Add the drained pasta into the sauce and mix together well, then plate with more ragu on top. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Marinate venison in dry white wine for 2-3 hours for tenderness and flavor.
- Consider using a herb sachet for spices like juniper berries, cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaves for easy removal after cooking.
- Choose slow-cooking venison cuts such as shoulder, leg, or neck for best texture.
- This ragu pairs well with wide ribbon pastas like pappardelle, tagliatelle, or fettucine; short pasta shapes are also acceptable.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 755 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 755kcal | 38% |
| Carbohydrates | 91g | 30% |
| Protein | 44g | 88% |
| Fat | 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Cholesterol | 106mg | 35% |
| Sodium | 119mg | 5% |
| Potassium | 1199mg | 26% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 10g | 20% |
| Vitamin A | 5490IU | 110% |
| Vitamin C | 12mg | 13% |
| Calcium | 77mg | 8% |
| Iron | 8mg | 44% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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