Hunting & Cooking: Pheasant lasagna alla vodka

The Utah ring-necked pheasant season opens November 4. Pheasant hunting is the perfect opportunity to introduce new hunters to the sport. In the field, a novice hunter learns gun handling skills, can get excellent target practice, discovers the habits and patterns of the animal, and develops a keen sense of patience. Skills are further developed after a successful harvest by cleaning and dressing the birds, processing, and finally, preparing the fruits of the hunt. 

I personally enjoy bird hunting, and in particular pheasant hunting, more than other hunts. A Saturday morning pheasant hunt with my friends and family is full of great conversations as we walk fields in search of birds. I enjoy the opportunity to unplug from the week with crisp and cool breezes, turning fall leaves, and watching my German Shorthaired Pointer work the bushes in pursuit of pheasant.

My other favorite part of pheasant season is coming home to a warm, hearty, rustic meal. This pheasant lasagna is a perfect complement to a successful hunt. Enjoy! 

Pheasant Lasagna alla Vodka 

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground pheasant breast
• 3 oz prosciutto 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup vodka
• 28 oz can crushed roasted tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 15 oz ricotta
• 1 egg
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups parmesan cheese
• ½ cup torn fresh basil
• Salt and pepper 
• 1 box oven-ready lasagna noodles

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large dutch oven over medium high heat, brown the ground pheasant and prosciutto for five to seven minutes. Remove the pheasant and prosciutto from the pot and set aside. Keep the drippings from the meat in the pot.
3. Add the olive oil to the dutch oven with the pheasant drippings. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the minced shallot and minced garlic cloves. Sautee for three to five minutes, stirring and keeping watch to not let the garlic overcook and brown. 
4. Add the ½ cup vodka to the shallot and garlic, stir to break up anything on the bottom of the dutch oven and let simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Pour the entire can of crushed tomatoes into the dutch oven. Add the dried oregano and simmer for 30 minutes, until the sauce slightly thickens.
6. Turn off the heat and add the ½ cup heavy cream. Allow the sauce to cool while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
7. In a large bowl, add the ricotta. Lightly beat the egg and mix into the ricotta. Add one cup of the mozzarella and one cup of the parmesan to the mixture. 
8. Tear the fresh basil into bite size pieces. Mix into ricotta and cheese mixture.  Lightly season pepper.
9. In a 9×13” pan, add a thin layer of the vodka tomato sauce to the bottom of the pan. This will help prevent sticking. After the thin layer of sauce is spread in the pan, add the ground pheasant and prosciutto to the vodka tomato sauce.
10. Place a layer of oven-ready lasagna noodles in the pan. You could also go with thinly sliced zucchini (my personal favorite) or already boiled lasagna noodles.
11. Spread a thin layer of the ricotta cheese mixture, topped with the meat and tomato sauce mixture, and sprinkle a half cup each of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Finish with another layer of noodles. Continue layering until all the ingredients have been utilized.
12. Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
13. Increase the heat to 400 degrees, remove the foil from the pan, and finish the lasagna for 10 additional minutes.
14. Enjoy!!!!

Lindsey Bartosh is an eighth-generation Moab girl who loves hiking, hunting, fishing, cooking, writing, photography and working on her website: www.huntingandcooking.com.