As heard on the latest episode of Eating Wild
Ingredients: (Serves 4)
- 4 (3 or 4-inch) patty pan squash, with green stems
- 1 lb ground venison
- 3 tbsp fat: grass-fed butter, tallow or, oil (extra virgin or avocado; never use canola or seed oils!)
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 1 large bell pepper, diced (red or yellow are great)
- 2 cups passata/strained tomato sauce (free from: salt, sugar and preservatives)
- 2 tsp unrefined salt or more to your liking
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp each: dried basil and oregano
Optional:
- ¼ cup toasted walnuts or pine nuts, chopped
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or 1 tsp sriracha sauce (if you like spicy)
Loving Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut off the tops of the squash so they look like little hats that you’ll place on top before baking so make sure they’re intact.
- Scoop out the inside of the squash gently, with a metal teaspoon, careful not to break the squash. Place the hollowed squash side by side in a casserole dish or Dutch oven and add ¼ cup of water to the bottom of the dish. Roughly chop up the scooped-out flesh a little, set aside for use later.
- Bake covered for 15-20 minutes, until just tender when pierced with a fork.
- Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the onion in the fat until golden brown (approx. 7 minutes), add the venison and cook for 7-8 minutes, until half cooked. Stir occasionally.
- Add the passata, peppers, scooped-out flesh, salt, pepper, and optional cayenne, stir evenly. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by a quarter. Stir in the garlic, dried herbs, and optional nuts. Taste and add more salt, pepper, cayenne if needed. The garlic’s pungency will diminish after baking.
- Remove the cooked squash from the oven and carefully, yet generously, stuff the squash shells with the venison- mixture and place the little “hats” on top. If it’s too hot, allow the squash and the meat to cool for 10 minutes before stuffing.
- Return the stuffed squash to the oven and bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, use a large spoon or ladle to gently transfer the squash to a serving plate and enjoy!
- Refrigerate leftovers airtight after they completely cool down. Reheat in the oven or on the stovetop with a little water in the pan, close with a lid and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.