Venison Sausage Pasta

Venison Sausage Penne Pasta – How 2 sausages can feed 2!

Sausages tend to come in packs of 4 or 6.  If you are me and cook mostly for yourself or one other person, that can mean three or four days of sausages and chips.  Or far too much toad in the hole.

One solution is to make this very yummy sausage pasta dish.  If there are two of you with two left over sausages – this will make quite enough for both of you.  Or, just a single sausage will feed one hungry adult quite comfortably.

My recipe includes quite a lot of chilli.  If you are cooking for kids or just don’t like spicy food then cut down the chilli flakes or replace them with half a teaspoon of paprika which will add spice without heat.  I’ve made this dish with venison sausages because venison meat is a very healthy but well flavoured red meat.  Of course you can use any kind of sausages but please make sure they are good quality and have a high meat content.  I also don’t use parmesan usually, if the sausages are good enough quality, it doesn’t add much for me.  If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, then a spoonful of tomato puree or even tomato ketchup will work fine and will look prettier too (fresh tomatoes in the UK don’t have the depth of colour that puree or ketchup has). There are a number of variations on this recipe around.  It’s up to you to play and work out what combination of flavours works best for you.  Obviously use some common sense…if you are using herbed sausages then consider whether or not to add herbs to the sauce.  Otherwise, enjoy!

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Sausage Penne Pasta

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 2

Author: Fiona Maclean

Ingredients

• 2 Large Sausages these need to be good quality (mine were venison from abel and cole)
• 1 Shallot finely chopped
• 2 Tomatoes skinned and roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Chilli flakes (or less depending on taste)
• 1 clove Garlic finely chopped or crushed
• 1 glass Red or White Wine
• 150 g Penne Pasta
• handful Flat leaf parsley chopped
• 1 Lemon zested and juiced (or a tablespoon of balsamic or extra wine!)
• 1/2 oz Parmesan cheese grated, to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Remove the sausage meat from the skins and mash up with a fork with the chilli and garlic. If you prefer chunks, then you can simply slice the sausages into thickish pieces
2. Gently fry the shallot in oil till soft
3. Add the sausagemeat and raise the heat, stirring to brown the meat all over.
   
   
4. Once the meat is fully browned, add the tomatoes, lemon juice and zest and wine
5. Lower the heat and simmer gently while you prepare the pasta according to the packet instructions. If you are using fresh pasta, then please allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes before you start to cook the pasta.
6. Drain the pasta and add to the sausage sauce. Stir through
7. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste, garnish with fresh parsley and parmesan to taste

I’m now very full…and that is after spending an hour at the gym this afternoon trying to make good the effect of all those Easter Eggs

Oh, and if there ARE any leftovers venison sausage pasta heats up very well in the microwave!