Venison Ragu

5 from 1 vote

This Venison Ragu recipe is perfect for weeknight dinners served over top of spaghetti squash. It's Whole30-approved, dairy-free, gluten-free, and Paleo too. Deer spaghetti sauce is in our Whole30 menu rotations because it freezes well and tastes great reheated!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 237kcal

Author: Mike Cleavenger

Equipment

Ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 slices Whole30 bacon chopped
1 yellow onion diced
1 large carrot peeled and finely diced
2 large stalk celery finely diced
1 tablespoon garlic minced
1 pound ground venison
2 bay leaves dried
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups marinara sauce sugar-free
1 cup beef bone broth
¼ cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
salt and pepper too taste

Instructions

Spaghetti Squash

Preheat your oven to 400°F and line your baking tray with parchment paper. Cut the squash in half crosswise to get longer spaghetti squash noodles. Scoop out the seeds, brush with avocado oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Place squash face down on the baking tray and cook for 30 minutes, depending on the size of the squash.

Ragu Sauce

While the squash roasts, heat olive oil up in your dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until browned and fat is rendered, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook until soft, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add ground venison, and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add in bay leaves, thyme, oregeno, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute to toast the spices. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Pour in beef broth, marinara sauce, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil while stirring occasionally, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken the sauce.
Discard the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper too taste.
Use a fork to scrape the spaghetti strands from the squash and place in a serving bowl. Serve topped with Ragu sauce and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Notes

Chef Tips

Venison Ragu Substitutions: If you are not into venison, swap it out for ground beef, lamb, bison, or elk meat. Try changing up the spice profile of the sauce and use heavy cream if you are not dairy-free.

Leftover venison ragu: Bolognese sauce if the perfect make-ahead whole30 recipe! I will make a large batch of ragu and freeze the sauce for an easy and quick weeknight dinner.

Meal Prep: Portion out 2 cups of spaghetti squash and 1 cup of ragu sauce into meal prep containers for the week.

Instant Pot: Using the saute function, follow this recipe like you are using a dutch oven. Place bone broth and marinara sauce into an instant pot and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Quick release the pressure, add in coconut milk, and adjust the seasonings.

Slow Cooker: In a cast-iron past saute bacon and veggies. Add in venison meat and cook until fully browned. Transfer to your slow cooker and add in the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 6 hours.

Nutrition