Deer Steak with Creamy Garlic Parmesan Shells

I like a good one-skillet meal. This one requires two, if you count the pasta pot, but you get the picture. This recipe has rich, savory bites of venison steak, creamy, cheesy sauce, and some pasta to round everything out and make it a meal. My kids loved dishes like this when they were young and they still request them on occasion now that they’re grown.

This easy venison and pasta dish is wild game comfort food at its best. Images by author

Like most good recipes, the ingredients for this one are simple. You probably have them in your pantry and fridge as we speak. When it comes to the pasta, don’t overcook it in the pot. Leave it with a little bite because it will continue to cook once you add it to the sauce. Also, hang onto a bit of the water the pasta cooked in. If you need to thin the sauce, pasta water is the perfect way to do it. It holds all of the cooked out starch from the pasta, making the sauce even richer when added.

For the steak part, I used a top round from a whitetail doe. Honestly, this one works with just about any cut from any big game. It’s pretty versatile. Just make sure you trim away the fat and silver skin when you cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.

Use venison top round or whatever big game roast or steak you have on hand, just make sure you trim it well.

Go ahead and get some salted water boiling for your pasta. Cook the pasta as you work on the steak and sauce. Start with a large skillet over medium heat. Remember, it's going to need to hold the entire meal once everything is ready, so give yourself plenty of room. I used a 12” Lodge cast iron skillet and it worked out about right.

To the hot skillet, add the butter and olive oil. The oil helps to prevent the butter from burning and increases the smoke point by several degrees. Season the steak bites well with Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning blend, and smoked paprika.

Season the meat before searing.

Once the fat is hot, sear the steak pieces a few at a time. Don’t overcrowd the skillet or you won’t get a good sear. Just add what the pan will comfortably hold, then move that batch to a warm plate and continue with the remaining steak. You aren’t looking to cook the meat all the way through at this point, just get some good color. It will continue to cook in the sauce and you don’t want the venison overdone.

Sear the steak bites just until you have good color on all sides.

Once the meat is all seared, reduce the heat to medium low. Add the bell pepper and cook until it has softened. Add the minced garlic.

Sauté the diced bell pepper.

Add the butter and heavy cream.

Add the heavy cream to the pan.

Slowly stir the grated or shredded parmesan cheese. The cheese is the main sauce flavor and ingredient, so get a block of good parmesan and shred or grate it yourself. The stuff you buy pre-shredded often has anti-caking agents and other additives that will cause your sauce to be less than smooth.

Add the grated parmesan cheese.

Simmer the sauce until the cheese melts into the cream. Return the venison to the sauce and add the cooked and drained pasta.

Return the venison to the pan and stir in the pasta to coat everything with sauce.

Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Check for seasoning and adjust to your taste before serving.

Top with chopped fresh parsley, chives, or extra parmesan cheese for garnish.