Venison Puttanesca with Zucchini Pasta

Brining and Tenderizing is optional. If you are brining you need to start at least four hours ahead.

Zucchini Pasta

Use a vegetable peeler or mandolin to make slices from medium sized zucchini. Stack the slices and cut lengthwise in fourths to make fettucini style pasta.

Boil salted water like you would for pasta. Add noodles to water, cook for 1 minute. Remove immediately with a slotted spoon into a boil of cold water to blanch and stop cooking. Drain on a towel. Your hot sauce will reheat the noodles.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter – divided

2 tablespoons olive oil – divided

1 pound cubed venison, brined & tenderized*

1/2 cup chopped pepper, any color

1/2 cup chopped onion, any color

2 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced or minced

4 ounce can of sliced mushrooms (or 1 cup fresh sliced)

1/2 cup chopped black olives

25 ounce jar of Puttanesca Sauce (or Spaghetti Sauce)

Pasta from 3 medium Zucchini (see above)

Directions:

Prepare Pasta as above.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 of oil in large skillet over medium high heat.

Add cubed venison. Do not cook all the way through, just brown on all sides. Remove to a plate. Pour out any juice in skillet.

Add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 of oil back into skillet over medium high heat. Add pepper, onion and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, sauté another 2 to 3 minutes. Add chopped olives. Add Puttanesca Sauce. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer and add venison back in, discarding any juices that have collected on the plate.

Simmer 15 minutes.

Serve over Zucchini Pasta with some nice bread and Shaved Parmesan Cheese.

 

*BRINE: Dissolve 1/4 course sea salt – 1/8 cup brown sugar (or 1 T granulated sugar) in 1 cup warm water in a large bowl. Fill the bowl with cold water, leaving enough room to add meat. Then tenderize:

TENDERIZE: Place meat inside a zip-lock bag. Do not zip all the way closed. Using the flat side of a mallet or a heavy skillet, pound the meat until it is about l/4-inch thick. Add to cooled brine. Put in refrigerator for 4 -8 hours. When ready to cook: Rinse and pat dry.