Venison bolognese is one of the best dishes you can make when you have ground deer meat on hand. This is the best recipe yielding in a rich, tomato sauce.
Italian food is one of my favorites. I happen to think it’s one of the easiest cuisine types to incorporate venison into. My venison meatballs are a fan and family favorite, but when I don’t have time to make those, this venison bolognese is the perfect dish.
I’m not Italian (I’m mostly Irish and German) but growing up, my dad and I would spend Sundays after church slaving over a pot of tomato sauce, usually just marinara. Some of my favorite childhood memories are of the time we spent around the stove together.
Nowadays, I still make pasta and sauce on the regular, but I’ve got a strapping 6’4″, 205lb., venison-loving husband to feed, and he always requests pasta with “meat sauce”. More commonly known as bolognese. This is as close to an authentic bolognese sauce as you’ll find with using wild game – ways better than a traditional meat sauce in my opinion!
There is one thing I just can’t bring myself to order regularly, and that’s pasta with tomato sauce. I know I’m being bold, but I usually think my version is better. And if you want to try your hand at homemade pasta with your KitchenAid mixer check this out!
If you’re looking for a more simplified version of this recipe, take a look at this video:
INGREDIENTS AND KITCHEN TOOLS
Today, we’re diving into the wild world of venison bolognese, a dish that’ll make your taste buds do a happy dance. Here is what you’ll need:
Olive oil
Yellow onion, finely diced
Carrots (about 2-3 carrots)
Ground venison* (see note below for other types of meat)
Garlic cloves, minced
Italian seasoning
Sugar (optional but suggested)
Salt
Black Pepper
Tomato paste
Red wine vinegar
Dry red wine* (see note)
Crushed tomatoes
Tomato sauce
Parmesan cheese rind
Fresh parsley + parmesan cheese + pasta for serving
NOTES:
- This recipe also works well with ground elk, lamb or bear meat. If you’d like to use beef or turkey, omit the red wine vinegar or just use 2 teaspoons instead of a full tablespoon.
- You can sub the wine with beef broth or vegetable broth, but I really recommend using it if you can. No need for anything fancy, drinkable wine, even boxed, is fine. I usually use a cabernet.
Kitchen Tools:
For this recipe, you’ll need a large pot, such as a dutch oven. I always recommend having a good quality cutting board and knife for chopping up your veggies. I also recommend this chopper if you hate finely chopping veggies. A good set of measuring spoons and cups. Other simple kitchen tools you’ll need are a can opener, and I am loving this meat chopper, it’s a real game changer!
STEP BY STEP | FOR A CLASSIC TWIST ON A BOLOGNESE SAUCE
Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and carrot and saute until the onion starts to soften, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 2: To the vegetables, add the ground venison and brown the meat, cooking for about 8 minutes and breaking up the meat as it cooks.
Step 3: Then, add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and tomato paste. Stir together and saute for 2 minutes to let the flavors release.
Step 4: Deglaze the pan by pouring in the red wine vinegar and wine. Use the liquid to scrape up any bits of flavor at the bottom of the pan.
Step 5: Finally, add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce and mix together well. If you have one handy, add the rind or end of a brick of parmesan cheese to the sauce. It releases great flavor during cooking.
Step 6: Once the sauce reaches a slow boil, turn the heat to low and cover the pot. Allow the sauce to simmer for at LEAST 30 minutes, but an hour to a few hours is better. Heck, all day if you have it!
Step 7: Remove the parmesan rind before serving and ladle the sauce over your pasta of choice. Top with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese if desired.
HOW TO SERVE VENISON BOLOGNESE
I love serving this sauce over some pasta (homemade is best, but seriously any type of pasta will work). Top with some fresh parmesan, serve with some garlic bread and a side salad and enjoy a delicious, classic Italian dinner (with a wild game twist) in the comfort of your own home!
STORING AND REHEATING
This recipe is great for meal prepping. You can make this ahead of time and store it in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do you make bolognese with venison?
I actually prefer venison bolognese to beef bolognese. Traditionally, bolognese is made with lamb, beef or pork (or a blend) but I imagine lamb was quite common when the dish originated.
I find lamb and venison to have similar flavor profiles, so venison actually works wonderfully. To balance everything out I use red wine in my sauce (some more traditional bolognese recipes call for white) and a bit of red wine vinegar. The acidity complements the venison and really brings out the best that it has to offer.
Can you make this recipe with other types of wild game?
Absolutely. This recipe works wonderfully as written with elk and bear meat. I highly suggest trying this with bear if you have it, it’s delicious. A bit sweeter and richer…but delightful. I haven’t tried it with moose, boar, or wild turkey but with some tweaking, I bet it could work with a lot of different meats.
If you want to make this recipe with store-bought beef or turkey, simply omit, or only use 2 teaspoons of the red wine vinegar.
I know you’re going to fall in love with this recipe and it will quickly become a staple in your home, too!
OTHER ITALIAN INSPIRED RECIPES
If you have a crazing for some Italian-inspired venison dishes, I have some stand out venison recipes that you’ll find yourself adding to your menu! First up, we love having these Venison Meatballs on hand at all times. They freeze great and you can just pop them into sauce when you are ready to use. For a delicious Sunday dinner or gathering, you have to make my Venison Lasagna. For a quick and hearty weeknight meal, my Venison Pasta Bake is sure to be a hit for the whole family. My Venison Ragu isn’t your typical ragu recipe, trust me on this, if you haven’t given it a try, you totally should. Finally, if you are looking for a recipe without wild game, try out my Tuscan Sausage Pasta.
If you have some ground venison that you are looking to use up, check out these Ground Venison Recipes. Make sure you grab a copy of my cookbook, Venison Every Day, check it out on Amazon!
Get my BEST Wild Game Cooking Tips for FREE!
Originally published April 2020. Update February 2024.
PrintVenison Bolognese
Venison bolognese is one of the best dishes you can make when you have ground deer meat on hand. This is the best recipe yielding in a rich, tomato sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes+
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian American
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 cup finely diced carrots (about 2–3 carrots)
- 1 lb. ground venison* (see note below for other types of meat)
- 3–4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 Tbsp. sugar (optional but suggested)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 6 oz. tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 cup dry red wine* (see note)
- 28oz. crushed tomatoes
- 28–30oz. (3 10oz., 2 14oz. cans, or 1 28oz. can) tomato sauce
- optional – parmesan cheese rind
- Fresh parsley + parmesan cheese + pasta for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and carrot and saute until the onion starts to soften, about 5-7 minutes.
- Then, add the ground venison and brown the meat, cooking for about 8 minutes and breaking up the meat as it cooks.
- Then, add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and tomato paste and saute for 2 minutes to let the flavors release.
- Deglaze the pan by pouring in the red wine vinegar and wine. Scrape up any bits of flavor at the bottom of the pan.
- Finally, add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce and mix together well. If you have one handy, add the rind or end of a brick of parmesan cheese to the sauce. It releases great flavor during cooking.
- Once the sauce reaches a slow boil, turn the heat to low and cover the pot. Allow the sauce to simmer for at LEAST 30 minutes, but an hour to a few hours is better. Heck, all day if you have it!
- Remove the parmesan rind before serving and ladle the sauce over your pasta of choice. Top with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- This recipe also works well with ground elk, lamb or bear meat. If you’d like to use beef or turkey, omit the red wine vinegar or just use 2 teaspoons instead of a full tablespoon.
- You can sub the wine with beef or vegetable broth, but I really recommend using it if you can. No need for anything fancy, drinkable wine, even boxed, is fine. I usually use a cabernet.