This venison sausage and kale pasta is the recipe I’d give anyone who’s unsure about venison. It’s not nearly as gamey as people expect. Instead, it’s rich, savoury and deeply flavoured, and in this creamy sausage sauce with Parmesan, kale and lemon, it becomes the kind of comforting bowl of pasta you’ll want to make all through autumn and winter.
Venison is one of my favourite meats to cook with. It’s lean, full of flavour and British, and wild venison is widely seen as one of the more sustainable meats you can buy. Venison sausages are an easy way in, as they’re already seasoned and mixed with a little fat, which keeps the sauce rich. Squeeze the meat out of the casings straight into the pan and break it up as it browns, letting it catch slightly for extra flavour.
The method borrows from Italian white ragù, where meat is cooked slowly in milk. Simmering the sausage in water first helps it soften and break down. Then the milk goes in. It will look curdled at first, but don’t worry, it comes back together as it reduces into a light, savoury sauce. Milk tenderises the meat and gives a creamy richness without needing any cream.
The other key is finishing the pasta in the sauce. Cook it until quite al dente, about three minutes less than the packet says, then add it to the pan with a splash of the starchy pasta water. As it finishes cooking, the starch helps the Parmesan and sauce turn glossy and coat every piece. The kale goes in at the end so it wilts gently and stays green, and lemon zest and plenty of black pepper cut through the richness.
Choose a pasta shape that will hold onto the sauce. Rigatoni, orecchiette or paccheri all work well. If you can’t find venison sausages, venison mince or your favourite good-quality pork sausages are great alternatives. Cavolo nero also works in place of curly kale.
This is ideal for a cosy midweek dinner or a relaxed autumn supper with friends. The sauce can be made up to two days ahead and kept in the fridge, or frozen, so you only need to cook the pasta and stir through the kale when you’re ready to eat.
recipe
Servings:
4 as a main
Cook time:
Ingredients
1 onion
2 tbsp butter
500g venison sausages
6 stalks curly kale
250ml milk
150g Parmesan
1 lemon
Pasta of your choice
Method
1. Dice the onion. Melt the butter in a pan and cook the onion until soft.
2. Squeeze the meat out of the sausages into the pan and break it up as it browns.
3. Add just enough water to cover and let it reduce. Meanwhile, strip the kale leaves from the stalks.
4. When most of the water has gone, add the milk. It will curdle at first, but comes back together as it reduces.
5. Once reduced, add half the Parmesan and a splash of water.
6. Cook the pasta in salted water until quite al dente (about 3 minutes less than the packet says).
7. Add the pasta to the sauce with some pasta water, then stir in the kale and the rest of the Parmesan. Loosen with more pasta water if needed.
8. Finish with lemon zest and plenty of black pepper.