Why you will love this bison spaghetti recipe
If you are looking for an easy recipe to use with ground bison, this recipe is it. It’s simple, straight-forward and turns out right every time.
Spaghetti and most pasta dishes are a go-to easy meal in our household, and bison spaghetti is guaranteed to be a family pleaser for any night of the week.
Tips
Whenever I make spaghetti, if I’m using jarred spaghetti sauce or my own spaghetti sauce from store-bough tomato sauce, I always add something fresh.
Dicing up a homegrown tomato or some fresh basil leaves transforms any ho-hum mediocre sauce into something that tastes fresh and lively.
Ingredients
Our main unique ingredient in this bison spaghetti dish is obviously the ground bison meat. Most spaghetti dishes have either beef or Italian pork sausage in it, but we are going to be using bison.
Bison, in general, is leaner than beef, but it does not have a gamey taste like other wild red meats. It almost has a hint of sweetness to it. I prefer bison to grass fed beef, because sometimes I think that grass-fed beef has a gamey hint to it.
Ground bison is easy to find at your local grocery store and it is surprisingly reasonably priced (IMO). It tends to cost more than ground beef, but it’s not really fair when we compare it like that. There is a lower fat content in ground bison, therefore when you cook it, it renders less fat, avoiding the shrinkage that you would see with normal ground beef, therefore stretching a little bit farther than ground beef would.
It is debatable whether bison is healthier than beef, however what we do know is that bison is lower in calories and fat content (~25% lower fat content) than store-bought, feed-lot raised beef, according to Healthline.
Overall, bison is a great addition to spaghetti and the perfect substitute for beef. And it’s adventurous to try new things, right?!
These are the ingredients for bison spaghetti:
- Ground bison
- Tomato sauce
- Onions
- Fresh tomato
- Garlic
- Fresh Basil
- Oregano
- Crushed red pepper
- Olive oil
- Sugar
- Salt
- Pepper
How to make bison spaghetti
There is nothing crazy to making this spaghetti with bison. Finely dice up the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté them in a large pot with olive oil for a few minutes until the onions become soft and translucent.
Add the ground bison and brown it with the onions, breaking it apart with a spatula or wooden spoon.
Since bison is very lean, you will notice it doesn’t render that much fat. I don’t drain it after it cooks. Open up your cans of tomato sauce and add them to the pot along with the fresh diced tomato, fresh basil, sugar and spices.
I always add a small amount of sugar to my spaghetti sauce recipes. I think it helps cut into the acidity of the tomatoes and tastes smoother. If you don’t want to add sugar, feel free to omit it.
I do highly recommend adding one fresh diced tomato and a few fresh basil leaves cut into strips.
You won’t believe how just adding a few fresh (not canned or dried) ingredients elevates the outcome of your dish in flavor and texture!
Stir the pot and cover with a lid. Simmer it for about 30 minutes over medium heat.
Bring another pot of salted water to a boil and prepare 1 pound of spaghetti noodles according to the package directions.
Serve the bison spaghetti sauce over the prepared noodles and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
I always recommend serving spaghetti with freshly ground pepper and a whole bunch of garlic bread.
I also love eating a fresh picked cayenne pepper from my garden with my bison spaghetti.
Weird? Maybe, but it’s good!
FAQ’s
What does bison taste like?
Bison is a delicious red meat that is not gamey at all. It can easily be compared to beef, but has a slight hint of sweetness to it.
What is the best way to cook ground bison?
Ground bison is best prepared just like you would ground beef. It’s great sautéed or browned, it’s wonderful on the grill (think bison burgers), and is delicious in soups, stews and even shepherds pie.
Is ground bison worth the price?
Ground bison is worth the price in my opinion. When cooked, it doesn’t shrink as much as ground beef would since it is naturally leaner and has less fat. The meat of bison goes just a bit farther because of that, and it is a delicious and flavorful meat to eat!
Bison Spaghetti
Equipment
- Large pot
- Collander
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground bison
- 33.5 ounce carton of tomato sauce
- 1 small onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 medium tomato
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 5-6 fresh basil leaves
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Finely dice the onion and tomato. Mince the clove of garlic and cut the fresh basil into small strips.
- In a large pot, sauté the diced onion and minced garlic until the onions are translucent and soft.
- Add the ground bison into the pot and brown the meat, breaking it apart with a spatula or wooden spoon.
- When the meat is browned, add the salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, oregano and fresh basil leaves. Give it a stir and let it sauté for another minute or so.
- Add the tomato sauce and the freshly diced tomato and simmer it on medium heat with the lid on for about 30 minutes. You could cook it longer to let all of those flavors work together if you want.
- Prepare the spaghetti noodles according to the package directions.
- Serve the bison spaghetti sauce over the prepared noodles and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
My name is Beth, Elizabeth Evelyn to be exact. A native Tennessean, I was born in the South.
I am the author behind Local Milk Blog.