Bison Sausage and Spaghetti

A few months ago, my dearest Granddaddy handed me a package of bison sausage and told me to enjoy.  Bison sausage?  Never tasted it but I was definitely intrigued!  I'm the kind of girl that will try everything once.  Somehow, it found its way to the bottom of my freezer until I rediscovered it while searching for some frozen corn.  I thawed it out, cut a tiny piece off and threw it in a frying pan to see what it tasted like before I dared to cook with it.  What does it taste like?  It's hard to explain.  I would that say it tasted like... hmm.  If lean ground beef and Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage links mated and had a baby, it would taste like bison sausage.  I thought it was pretty good, my daughter thought it was "meh" and my husband said "it was good but I wouldn't bother buying it in the future".  It's fun cooking with something new!  I liked it and, although I probably won't cook with it again, I can say at the very least that I know what bison sausage tastes like.

Note:  Bison is very lean, so be careful to not overcook it or it will become tough.



Ingredients:

• 1 lb bison sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces  
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• 2 splashes red wine
• 14 oz marinara
• Parmesan cheese, for topping 
• Parsley, for garnish 
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste 
• 8 oz pasta, cooked 

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the bison.  Brown on all sides for 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, stirring for 1 minute longer.  

Using a slotted spoon, remove the bison and set aside.  Pour the wine in the skillet and scrape up the brown bits.  Reduce the wine to half.  Add the bison back into the skillet.  Stir in the marinara.  Turn the heat down to low.  Cover and gently simmer until the meat is cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. 

Serve over hot pasta.  Sprinkle with cheese and garnish with parsley. 

Enjoy!