Venison Pastitsio Pasta Casserole Recipe

Use That Venison In Your Freezer To Make This Delicious Pastitsio Pasta Casserole!

Casseroles are one of the best ways to serve up wild game, any wild game: deer, elk, turkey, wild boar, pheasant, and the rest. Why? They produce wonderfully flavorful meat, reduce your hands-on cooking time, and cut back on dirty pots and pans. Casseroles are great weeknight meals, as they’re a simple, low stress, and economical way to put hot comfort food on the table.

In addition, these recipes aren’t complicated, usually just involving chopping, pouring ingredients together, and setting a timer. Put all your ingredients into one dish, pop it into the oven, and dinner is done — what could be easier? While your casserole is baking, you’re free to do other things. You also save money, as many recipes don’t call for the most expensive ingredients at the store; you can often use what you already have on hand, and you typically have leftovers, so you won’t spend tomorrow’s lunch money.

But wait, there’s more: Casseroles are typically not intimidating, either. They’re great if you’re just starting to cook for yourself or for experienced cooks looking for something easier. There’s also no special equipment needed — any large, oven-safe dish will suffice, including cast iron, glass, or other cookware. And as a hunter, they’re an excellent way to use some of the most abundant meat you might have: ground venison. Casseroles can be main dishes or side dishes. Venison can be the main ingredient of a one-pot meal, or your favorite venison roast or grilled steak can be complemented with a vegetable casserole served next to it.

Options for casserole recipes are seemingly limitless. Home cooks have been crafting them for decades and in many styles: Mexican, Italian, American, Greek, German, and more. Many cookbooks contain a casserole recipe or two, and a quick internet search reveals a plethora of casserole options. We often try new recipes for casseroles to work through the pile of wild game stacked in our freezer. Some are keepers we’d make again, and others are nice tries that probably won’t be seen again. Trying new recipes are all part of the hunting adventure.

Now that casserole season is here, we’ll be sharing some of our favorite wild game casserole main and side dishes over the next couple of months, so be sure to check back for more! Today we start off with a venison spin on the classic Greek pastitsio:

Venison Pastitsio Pasta Casserole

Ingredients (8 Servings)

Meat Sauce

• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1½ cups onion, chopped
• 2 lbs. ground venison
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 1 tbsp. garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (no stems)
• Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes in puree or plain tomato sauce/puree
• Salt and black pepper

Cream Sauce

• 1½ cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• 1½ cups fresh grated Parmesan cheese (3/4 cup goes on top)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup Greek-style plain yogurt or sour cream
• ¾ lb. small shells or orecchiette pasta

Directions

• For the meat sauce, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the venison and cook until no longer pink, about 8 to 10 minutes, crumbling it with a spoon or spatula. Add the wine and cook for 2 more minutes. Turn heat down to medium and add the garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, and cayenne and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and simmer for 40 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. While the red sauce is simmering, make the cream sauce and cook the pasta.
• For the cream sauce, warm up the milk and cream in a small pot or in a microwave. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. Keep whisking while you pour in the milk and cream mixture. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, whisking occasionally, until it begins to thicken. Add the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Off the heat, stir in ¾ cup of Parmesan (save the other half for the topping) and ½ cup of the meat sauce, then allow to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the eggs and yogurt or sour cream.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water until al dente. Don’t overcook it, as the pasta will further soften when baking. Drain and set aside. Stir the pasta into the meat sauce and pour into a large baking dish. Spread the cream sauce evenly over the top and sprinkle with the remaining ¾ cup of Parmesan. Bake for 1 hour (35 minutes if halving the recipe) until golden brown.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Carnivore Magazine Issue 5.

More Delicious Wild Game Recipes

• Venison Philly Cheesesteak
• Sous Vide Wild Boar Shank
• Elk Jerky
• Easter Bear by Hank Shaw
• Mediterranean Spiced Ground Venison Kofta