Wild Table with Savage Arms: Venison Meatballs & Roasted Tomato Pasta

Ah, spaghetti and meatballs ... it's a classic dish beloved by gourmands and picky eaters alike. Its roots may be Italian, but we Americans have long since claimed it as our own. What better way to make this dish even more American than with wild game that you harvested yourself? (Maybe some flag toothpicks?) The experts at Savage Arms care about every point of the harvest, from the point you squeeze the trigger to the point your family says, "Yum!" 

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

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Prepare a large baking sheet by spraying with cooking spray.
3. In a frying pan over medium heat, heat olive oil until hot.
4. Add onion, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Sauté until onion is tender (about 5-6 minutes total time).
5. Add spinach to pan and combine. Add Worcestershire sauce and chicken broth. Cook until most of the liquid has cooked out.
6. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
7. In a large bowl, combine the venison, breadcrumbs, and egg. Add cooled onion/spinach mixture to the meat.
8. Roll into meatballs that are about 1 – 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place them on the baking sheet.
9. Make sure to leave a little bit of space between each meatball.
10. Bake until your meatballs are cooked through with an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

Roasted Tomato Pasta

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. While oven is preheating, cover 2 cookie sheets with aluminum foil and brush with olive oil.
3. Place sliced tomatoes on cookie sheet and brush liberally with olive oil.
4. Sprinkle Italian seasonings and garlic powder over tomatoes. (Be generous!)
5. Bake for 45 minutes or until tomatoes just begin to char.
6. 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.
7. While pasta is boiling, begin slowly browning your butter and peppercorns in a large skillet, about 1 min. Butter will turn a golden brown.
8. 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.
9. While stirring, begin to alternate cheese and water until pasta becomes slightly creamy
10. Add the roasted tomatoes to the pasta and stir to combine.
11. Add the meatballs, toss and serve.