Smother your pasta with a rich, savory bison and chanterelle meat sauce. Ground meat and diced mushrooms simmer in a thick tomato sauce flavored with chopped vegetables and fresh herbs. A dash of agave nectar provides just a hint of sweetness.
Refresh your old Italian dishes by substituting this recipe for regular spaghetti sauce.

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🥘Ingredients
Here are all of the ingredients you need to make this recipe:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground bison
- 1 medium red onion - chopped
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 can diced tomatoes - (28 fl. oz./796 mL)
- 1 can tomato paste - (5.5 fl. oz./156 mL)
- 1 ½ cups chanterelle mushrooms - chopped (or oyster mushrooms)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar - or to taste
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves - thinly sliced
- salt and pepper - to taste
Chanterelle Mushrooms:
(fresh chanterelle mushrooms)
Soft and tender, chanterelle mushrooms complement the lean bison with a mildly sweet, peppery flavor. Chanterelles enrich your sauce with high levels of vitamin D, vitamin C, potassium, copper, phosphorus, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and more.
Not all grocery stores sell chanterelles, and even specialty stores might not have them year round. You can check specialty stores or farmers' markets periodically. I buy them frozen from the local food store when they are available.
They grow wild in the prairies where I live (they grow smaller here because of the unique climate). This gives them a more concentrated flavor and vibrant color. They are known worldwide for these qualities. You can find them all over continental US, especially in harwood forests near water.
📖Substitutes
Full Disclosure: Chanterelles were not in stock at the time of taking pictures for the recipe and I just ran out of the frozen ones so I used the next best thing:
In a pinch, substitute the chanterelles with oyster mushrooms (as seen in ingredients photo). They have a similar texture and milder taste, offering a blank palette for the sauce. They are also more readily available. Their nutrient profile includes folate, potassium, fiber, protein, niacin (vitamin B3) and riboflavin.
(dried chanterelles)
It is also possible to find dried chanterelles (pictured above). All you need to do is soak the dried mushrooms in warm water for about 30 minutes so that they absorb water/rehydrate, and then drain and rinse them before adding to the sauce. Let them simmer in the sauce. Some people do add them dry, straight into the sauce, but they might not be cleaned properly.
🔪How to Make it
Step 1: Brown the Bison
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the ground bison, onions and some salt and pepper. Brown and crumble the bison, about 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add Garlic
Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.
Step 3: Bring to Boil
Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms, Italian seasoning and agave nectar. Stir it all together and bring to a boil.
Step 4: Simmer
Lower the heat and gently simmer for 60 minutes, partially covered with the lid.
Step 5: Season
Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the fresh basil.
Step 6: Serve
Serve over spaghetti noodles.
🍽Serving Suggestions
- Pick a pasta: Spaghetti, penne, tortellini, shells, fusilli and other noodle types add their own texture and dimension to the dish.
- Garnish your pasta with grated parmesan or hunks of fresh mozzarella.
- Serve with homemade garlic bread so that you and your guests can sop up all of the delicious sauce.
🌡️Storage
- Fridge: Eat leftovers within 4 days. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Freezer: If you plan your meals ahead, cover well and freeze for up to 6 months for best quality. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat: Reheat in a pot on the stove over medium heat or in the microwave.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Bolognese (Italian) is also a meat sauce but it has the addition of milk and white wine and is slowly-cooked to a very thick consistency.
If you're looking for something that will hold some of the meat sauce in each bite, serve it with shells, Orecchiette or rigatoni. If you're looking for something more traditional, you could go with tagliatelle, which is a long, flat, ribbon noodle.
If you want a thicker meat sauce, continue to simmer it over low heat until most of the liquid is reduced.
I make an extra large batch of this bison and chanterelle meat sauce for my family every 2 weeks. It’s filling and delicious. How did it turn out for you? Let me know in the comments and please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Bison and Chanterelle Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground bison
- 1 medium red onion - chopped
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 can diced tomatoes - (28 fl oz./796 mL)
- 1 can tomato paste - (5.5 fl oz./156 mL)
- 1 ½ cups chanterelle mushrooms - chopped (or oyster mushrooms)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar - or to taste
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves - thinly sliced
- salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the ground bison, onions and some salt and pepper. Brown and crumble the bison, about 5 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound ground bison, 1 medium red onion
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.3 cloves garlic
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms, Italian seasoning and agave nectar. Stir it all together and bring to a boil.1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can tomato paste, 1 ½ cups chanterelle mushrooms, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 2 tablespoons agave nectar
- Lower the heat and gently simmer for 60 minutes, partially covered with the lid.
- Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the fresh basil.¼ cup fresh basil leaves
- Serve over spaghetti noodles.
Notes
- You can substitute the chanterelles with oyster mushrooms if they aren’t available to you. You can also used dried chanterelles. Just soak them for 30 minutes in warm water, drain and rinse before adding to the sauce. Then, let them simmer in the sauce.
- Fridge Storage: Eat leftovers within 4 days. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Freezer Storage: If you plan your meals ahead, cover well and freeze for up to 6 months for best quality. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheating Instructions: Reheat in a pot on the stove over medium heat or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Hungry for more? Check out all of our best bison recipes.
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