Venison Hemp Heart Meatballs Over Spaghetti

A taste of the wild!

Servings:

6-8

Ready in:

1 hour

Calories:

??

Introduction

About this Recipe

By: Outdoor News

Hearty and delicious meatballs served over spaghetti makes for a great meal!

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground venison
  • 1 pound ground beef (80/20 blend)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2/3 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 teaspoons each: dried oregano, basil and parsley
  • 2 Tablespoons hemp hearts
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

  • 2 15-ounce cans of tomato sauce or canned tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon each: dried oregano, basil, garlic powder and onion powder
  • 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Pasta

  • 16 ounces dry spaghetti noodles
  • 4 quarts water

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375F.

Step 2

Mix the ground venison and beef together until it is well-combined. Add the garlic, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, egg, herbs/spices and hemp hearts; mix thoroughly.

Step 3

Form one-inch meatballs by rolling them between your hands. Arrange in a single layer in a 9×13” glass baking dish. Cook uncovered in the oven for approximately 20 minutes.

Step 4

In the meantime, add the tomato sauce, herbs/spices, and balsamic vinegar to a large pot, and simmer over medium-low heat.

Step 5

Transfer the meatballs to the sauce pot using a slotted spoon (to remove the excess fat drippings). Simmer for another 20 minutes.

Step 6

Heat water in a separate pot until boiling. Add the dry pasta noodles and cook until al dente (approx. 10 minutes). Drain noodles in a colander.

Step 7

Plate the noodles and add the sauce and meatballs over the top. Alternatively, you can add the noodles directly to the sauce pot to soak up a little more moisture and flavor.

Step 8

Sprinkle with hemp hearts and more Parmesan, if desired, and your favorite bread.

Note

Venison is a very lean meat – in fact, it’s one of the leanest meats out there. To make the meatballs juicier and improve the texture, mix in ground beef at a ratio of 1:1, and to maximize the fat content, go with an 80/20 ground beef. You lose a lot of the “wild game” flavor by combining with beef, but this is a great way to introduce wild game to others or stretch your store-bought meat budget out a bit. The resulting meatballs hold their shape well through the cooking process, and are truly delicious..



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