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–+ servings
a plate of bison bolognese with sage and spices

Weeknight Bison Bolognese

The flavours of this dish are so intense people will think you've been cooking all day. But surprise, this easy bison Bolognese takes way less time!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Canadian, Italian
Servings 4
Calories 243 kcal

Equipment

  • Food processor

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 lb ground bison
  • 4 slices bacon ground in food processor
  • 1 lb your favourite pasta
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 4 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ C dry red wine such as chianti
  • 1½ C chicken broth
  • ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • ⅓ C heavy cream
  • 1 C parmesan cheese grated

Instructions
 

  • In a Dutch oven over medium high heat, add the olive oil, bacon, and ground bison. Cook until there's almost no liquid left in the pot.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add your pasta and cook according to package directions.
  • Add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic to the food processor. Grind until all are in very small pieces, almost resembling the ground meat. Add it to the bacon and bison. Cook until it begins to soften, about 5-10 minutes.
  • Add the tomato pasta and stir, making it coat the rest of the ingredients.
  • Deglaze the pan with red wine, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. Add the chicken stock, chili flakes, sage, thyme, and cinnamon stick. Cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and add the heavy cream and parmesan. If it's looking a little thick, thin it out with some pasta water. Add your cooked pasta to the pot. Serve with extra parmesan and black pepper.

Notes

Using pancetta is key here as it ups the flavour in the bison!
Same with the tomato paste - you can use crushed tomatoes, but the flavour is far less intense, so it would require simmering for longer. 

Nutrition

Serving: 250gCalories: 243kcalCarbohydrates: 95gProtein: 47gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 960mgPotassium: 993mgFiber: 6gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 993IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 394mgIron: 6mg
Keyword alpine dining, bison bolognese, bison pasta, weeknight bison bolognese
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