Antelope is rapidly becoming one of my favorite meats. With unique flavor and incredible tenderness, this prairie protein stands alone in a sea of meats. When we butcher our antelope, we turn all the ground meat into Italian sausage. Antelope has a natural sage flavor lending itself perfectly to the herbs and spices in sausages. These 1 lb. packages of deliciousness provide the ultimate platform for dinnertime creativity. Last night, I made these Antelope Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells. Who doesn’t like cheesy, Italian comfort food?

Ingredients:

1 lb. Antelope Italian Sausage

16 Large Shell Pasta

1 T. Olive Oil

2 t. Crushed Garlic

5 Fresh Basil Sprigs

1 ½ t. Oregano

1 ½ t. Crushed Rosemary

Salt

Pepper

12 oz. Tomato Sauce

¾ c. Ricotta Cheese

½ c. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

½ c. Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook Pasta according to package directions and then immediately cool in ice water until ready to stuff.

Brown antelope meat in olive oil until cooked. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (2 minutes).

Add basil, oregano, rosemary, salt & pepper (to taste) and tomato paste. Cook until heated through.

Remove from heat and stir in ricotta cheese.

Stuff shells and place into a 9 in. baking dish.

If you have leftover filling, spread it over the top of the shells. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheeses and bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Nutrition and Macro Nutrient Information-Per Serving (serves 6)

Calories- 257

Fat-10.4g

Carbs-13.6g

Protein- 27.3g