VENISON BOLOGNESE

PRESSURE COOKER

Bolognese is hands down my favorite pasta dish. It’s simple to master, yet there are so many versions. While in Italy, I noticed that the Italian way of making Bolognese is to go light on the sauce. This meat sauce calls for just a little tomato paste, which I find to be wonderful.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Serves: 6

5 strips bacon, minced

3 celery stalks, finely diced

2 large onions, finely diced

1 large carrot, finely diced

2 pounds ground venison

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1½ cups dry white wine

4 cups beef broth

¼ cup tomato paste

2 bay leaves

1 pound fettuccine pasta

1 cup heavy cream

1½ cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1. Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it just starts to crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the celery, onions, and carrot and cook, stirring constantly, until the vegetables are lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Add the venison, stirring with a wooden spoon to crumble the meat. Add the salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook, stirring, until the meat is lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until almost all the wine has evaporated, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the broth, tomato paste, and bay leaves, and cook until the broth has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

4. Twenty minutes before the sauce is done, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the fettuccine according to the package directions.

5. Remove the bay leaves from the sauce, then stir in the cream and half the Parmesan. Ladle the sauce over the fettuccine and serve sprinkled with the remaining Parmesan.

Pressure Cooker Variation: Select Sauté and cook the bacon, vegetables, and venison as directed in steps 1 and 2 in an electric pressure cooker. Add all the other ingredients except the pasta, cream, and cheese. Lock the lid and close the steam valve. Select Manual and set the time for 2 5 minutes on High Pressure. Naturally release the steam for 1 5 to 2 0 minutes , then quick release any remaining steam. Prepare the fettuccine as directed in step 4 during the natural release time. Pick up with step 5.