Ground Venison Pasta Bake

Dinner doesn’t always have to be complicated that’s why I love to make this ground venison pasta bake for dinner. This dish uses simple everyday ingredients and takes no time at all to throw together for a family style dinner. Comfort food at its finest.

Substitute ground elk or antelope meat if you don’t have venison in your freezer.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground venison
• 2 cups dry Ditalini pasta
• 2 cups spaghetti sauce
• 1 cup mild cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook 2 cups of dried Ditalini pasta as directed on the package and drain when done. (I prefer the Ditalini pasta for its smaller size, but you can also substitute using macaroni noodles.)

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is warm carefully add the ground venison and cook until browned. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

In a bowl, combine cooked pasta, ground venison and spaghetti sauce. Pour mixture into a 9 x 7 casserole dish and top with shredded cheese.

Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and melted butter in a small bowl. Pour breadcrumb mixture over the top of the casserole. Cover dish and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with fresh basil leaves.