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- Roasted Tomato Pasta with Venison Meatballs | Wild Table
Roasted Tomato Pasta with Venison Meatballs | Wild Table
Sharing time together at the family table over a hearty meal has been a big part of my life and tradition since I was a child. Bringing together your loved ones to discuss the happenings of the day, share stories, and make memories, all while enjoying a home cooked meal is something I look forward to and cherish. Roasted tomato pasta, made with fresh tomatoes picked straight from the garden and topped with homemade venison meatballs, are a sure way to delight your family around the dinner table. Bring out a side of crusty bread and some homemade wine and you’ll have an evening meal full of laughter, good food, and great memories.
Tips and Tricks
- Instead of meatballs, try topping the pasta with some sautéed shrimp!
- A package of frozen spinach can be substituted for fresh.
Ingredients
Venison Meatballs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional – adjust to your preference)
- 3-4 handfuls fresh spinach
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 pkg ground venison
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs
Roasted Tomato Pasta
- 8 large tomatoes, cut into 1⁄2 inch slices
- Olive oil for brushing
- Italian seasonings
- Garlic powder
- 1⁄2 box pasta, 8 oz
- 5 T butter
- 1⁄2 T crushed peppercorns
- 1 heaping cup of shredded parmesan
Directions
Venison Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prepare a large baking sheet by spraying with cooking spray.
- In a frying pan over medium heat, heat olive oil until hot.
- Add onion, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Sauté until onion is tender (about
- 5-6 minutes total time).
- Add spinach to pan and combine. Add Worcestershire sauce and chicken broth. Cook until most of the
- liquid has cooked out.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, combine the venison, breadcrumbs, and egg. Add cooled onion/spinach mixture to the
- meat.
- Roll into meatballs that are about 1 – 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place them on the baking sheet.
- Make sure to leave a little bit of space between each meatball.
- Bake until your meatballs are cooked through with an internal temperature of 160 degrees F
Roasted Tomato Pasta
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- While oven is preheating, cover 2 cookie sheets with aluminum foil and brush with olive.
- Place sliced tomatoes on cookie sheet and brush liberally with olive oil.
- Sprinkle Italian seasonings and garlic powder over tomatoes. (Be generous!)
- Bake for 45 minutes or until tomatoes just begin to char.
- While the tomatoes are roasting, bring a pot of water to a boil, adding plenty of salt to your water and
- cook the pasta to al dente.
- While pasta is boiling, begin slowly browning your butter and peppercorns in a large skillet, about 1 min. Butter will turn a golden brown.
- Drain the pasta when it is done, reserving 1⁄2 Cup pasta water. Add the cooked pasta to the butter and stir while also adding half of the parmesan and a bit of the pasta water.
- While stirring, begin to alternate cheese and water until pasta becomes slightly creamy
- Add the roasted tomatoes to the pasta and stir to combine.
- Add the meatballs, toss and serve.
Are you a field to table foodie? Check out more of our wild game recipes and foraging tips on our Wild Table blog!