Venison Lasagna Supreme - Ethnic Foods R Us

This Venison Lasagna Supreme is the best lasagne recipe I’ve ever prepared or tasted – bar none. Have family or friends who swear they don’t like venison or other wild game meats – they say the flavor is too strong?

Trust me, they will love this. The sauce permeates the meat and the flavors come out subtle and elegant. After your guests have filled themselves happy, then let them know they just ate some venison!

(Photo Attributed to Author: jeffreyw)

Venison Lasagna Supreme Recipe-

Ingredients:

(Serves 10 or 12)

6 to 12 lasagna noodles, cooked (or more or less, depending on how much pasta you like)

For the Meat Sauce-

1 lb. ground or finely minced venison
1/4 cup good quality dry red wine (suggest Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot)
1 cup chopped onion
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
8 oz. canned crushed tomatoes
8 oz. canned tomato sauce
6 oz. canned tomato paste
2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. fennel seeds
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¹⁄₂ teaspoon pepper, or to taste

For the Cheesy Filling-

1 large egg, beaten
2 cups crumbled ricotta cheese
¹⁄₂ cup freshly grated aged Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
8 oz. sliced mozzarella cheese (plus some more)
8 oz. frozen spinach, thawed out and patted dry

Directions:

Cook the lasagne noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside for now.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

For the Meat Sauce-

In a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high flame, stir-fry meat, onion, and garlic until the meat is browned all over, and onion is tender, translucent and fragrant. Venison is very low in fat, but if there is even a little fat in the pan, drain it out.
Add and stir in all the seasonings, crushed tomatoes, red wine, tomato sauce and paste, and bring the mixture to a boil.
Place the lid on the skillet, slightly ajar, and let the mixture simmer for at least 15 minutes, stirring now and then. Check and see after 15 minutes, you want the liquid to have dissipated to where it is not at all soupy, more like a rich, thick sauce. If it not yet thickened, remove the lid altogether and continue to simmer, stirring often, until the desired consistency is achieved.

For the Cheesy Filling-

In a suitably sized mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, all of the ricotta cheese, the spinach and parsley.

To Assemble and Cook-

Layer 1/3 of the cooked lasagne noodles in a 9×13 lightly greased baking dish. Spread 1/3 of the meat sauce over the noodles, followed by 1/3 of the cheesy filling. Repeat all three layers.
Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on top and add some more mozzarella (broken up into small bits).
Bake at 375F for 30-35 minutes and then allow the dish to stand 10 minutes so the seasonings and texture will “set up” before serving your Venison Lasagna Supreme.