Vodka Sauce Venison Sausage
Picture is of the prepared dish from this recipe ready to serve. It shows the penne pasta with vodka sauce and sliced Venison Sausage.
This picture is another of the finished dish. It is served in a porcelain boat with penne pasta, vodka sauce and venison sausage
Vodka Sauce Venison Sausage Prep: 30-45 minutesCook: 12o- minutes totalPlan on 2 1/2 hours total (worth every minute!)Feeds 4-6We all have sauces or dishes we wished we could cook. One that I always wanted was a delicious Vodka cream sauce. Whose better to go to than Ina Garten. If you don't read and enjoy her cooking and personality, you are missing out! I found an adaption of her Vodka sauce, Pasta Alla Vecchia Bettola and thought this is it, the one I will use with my sausage to make our Vodka Sauce Venison Sausage. It varies from many recipes in that she bakes the tomatoes and onions for 1 1/2 hrs. @ 375 in the oven then purees the mix in a processor before finishing with cream and herbs. It does take a bit of work but is not hard. The result is as good a recipe as I think I can make. Please try this with your own Venison sausage and it will quickly become one of your favorites. You can watch the video link below for tips and hints cooking this dish and visit all our videos at YouTube Eddy's Kitchen. Ingredients for Vodka Sauce Venison Sausage Olive oil1 medium onion, chopped3 cloves of garlic1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes. You can add more but beware, they are HOT1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano1 cup Tito's Vodka (or your favorite brand)2 28 oz. cans of peeled plum tomatoesSalt and pepper1 lb. penne pasta or other shape2 tbl. Fresh oregano2-3 tbl. Fresh basil1 cup heavy cream1/2 cup grated Parmigianino cheese1 to 2 lbs. good Venison Sausage.Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375 F
Heat 2 tbl olive oil in a large oven proof sauté pan over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic. I like to add the garlic a little later, then cook until the garlic is roasted and giving a great aroma.
Add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano and cook for a minute longer.
Add the vodka and cook continue cooking 5 to 7 minutes until reduced by about half.
While the onions and vodka are simmering, drain the tomatoes and hand crush them in a bowl. Add the tomatoes to the pan after the vodka is reduced. Add a couple of tsp salt and about one half tsp black pepper.
Cover the pan with a tight fitting top and place in the oven for an hour and a half.
In another pan, add olive oil and the Venison sausage and brown on all sides. Once done, slice into thin slices and set aside.
After an hour of cooking the tomato and vodka sauce in the oven, cook the penne, al dente. Usually this is about 2 minutes less than the recommended time. i.e. if the package calls for 10 min, cook 8. This will prevent the pasta from over cooking once we add it bake to the sauce. Drain and set aside.
After 1 1/2 hr. cook time, pull the tomato and vodka sauce out and very carefully ladle it into a food processor. You may need to do it in few batches. Add the basil at the time and puree all together.
Place the sauce back into the large sauté pan and heat at a low heat. Begin adding the cream a little at a time until you get the consistency you like. Start with a quarter cup and add as much as you like. This is where a little art vs. science comes in. You will probably end up adding 1/2 to 3/4 cup but may want the whole cup.
Add in a handful of cheese and stir in.
Add in the Venison Sausage.
Add in the Penne pasta.
Continue cooking for another 10 minutes at a low simmer to allow all the flavors to meld.
Serve with a sprinkle of cheese and a garnish of Parsley or Oregano.
Chef Eddy Claycomb loves to deer hunt so much that he has to constantly invent new recipes for his abundant venison sausage. To his credit, he comes up with some great ones!https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZvwKCJzFYqg
