Recipe: Colorado Big Game Meatballs (w/pasta)

When my husband started hunting deer and elk a few years ago, I had no clue how to cook it. Like zero, zilch, not a clue. The first year we had our meat processed, we requested far too many cuts and I was completely lost in kitchen. The next year, we got a bit smarter (for our preferences) and requested to have most of it processed as ground meat. Over time, I have come to enjoy our little kitchen experiments where we test out this and that to see what we can make. If it’s my husband doing the experimenting, it’s almost guaranteed to be a win! (Love you, hubby!) So, here’s a dish he threw together and perfected over about three attempts… Colorado Big Game Meatballs (w/pasta)! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 Package Spaghetti (16 oz.)
• 45 oz. Jar Pasta Sauce of Your Preference
• 1 lb. Big Game Meat, Ground (we’ve done Mule Deer, Elk, and White Tail Deer)
• 1 Egg
• 1 Teaspoon Italian Herb (We Like This One – Click Here)
• 1 Pinch Crushed Rosemary
• 1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic (We Like This One – Click Here)
• 1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• 2/3 cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup Panko Italian Breadcrumbs (We Like These – Click Here)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine your meat, egg, Italian herb, Rosemary, minced garlic, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and bread crumbs. With your hands, work the mixture until ingredients are well combined. Roll into 2″ – 2.5″ size meatballs and place in a large, glass casserole dish. We do not grease our dish because the meatballs contain enough oil to keep them from sticking. Cook in preheated oven for 30 – 35 minutes, uncovered. Check for doneness.

While meatballs are cooking prepare your pasta, per the package instructions, and add sauce. For best results, save some pasta sauce to pour on meatballs after you place them on your plate.

Serve warm.

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