Camel Meat Pasta Bake

If you have some camel meat and don’t know what to do with it, this camel meat pasta bake is an excellent recipe to try. It’s packed with flavour and guaranteed to become a family favourite.

In recent months, I’ve become a huge fan of camel meat. I now understand the hype behind it in Middle Eastern countries where camel meat is a delicacy. I also think this is such an under-appreciated meat and would love to see more of it at butchers’ and supermarkets. Much of the camel meat available in Canada is imported from Australia where feral/wild camels roam the outback. Australian camels were originally domesticated camels imported from the Middle East for transportation purposes. Then the railroad came along and the camels were set free. I guess nobody thought of cooking them, which was obviously a mistake!

Fast forward to the present, and now camels are a real problem in Australia. So, really, when you eat Australian camels you’re doing the people and environment there a favour. Besides, due to the fact that these camels are feral, they’re free-range, lean, raised without hormones or antibiotics and generally more nutritious. And let me tell you, when cooked right, they’re absolutely delicious!

Camel meat is generally tougher than beef. For this reason, it’s more suitable for slow cooking, and makes an amazing tagine or stew. Check out this camel tagine recipe for one way to make delicious camel! Another good way to cook camel is to eat ground camel meat in the form of “kofta” or meatballs. Or try it in a delicious pasta bake, as in this recipe. If you find camel meat anywhere near you, please give it a try. You won’t regret it!

Ingredients

1. 200 grams of ground camel meat
2. 300 grams of dry penne pasta
3. Two cups canned roma tomatoes
4. Two heaped tablespoons tomato paste
5. Two tablespoons granulated white sugar
6. One heaped tablespoon Italian herb mix
7. Half a teaspoon each of chilli flakes (or more if you like it spicy), smoked paprika and ground black pepper.
8. One cup of cheap red wine
9. Two cloves of garlic, chopped
10. One large onion, chopped
11. One tablespoon canola oil
12. One cup of shredded parmesan and mozzarella mix. You can use a ready-made, store-bought mix of cheese.
13. Salt to taste and for the pasta water.

Method

1. In a large saucepan, heat the canola oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until golden and translucent.
2. Add the ground camel meat and cook until it turns brown. Season with salt, pepper and the other spices. Continue cooking it on high heat until it caramelises slightly.
3. Add in the wine and sugar.
4. After a couple of minutes, add the tomato paste and canned tomatoes. Allow the sauce mixture to come to a boil on high heat, then reduce the heat to medium low and let it simmer covered for one hour, stirring occasionally.
5. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (for conversion to Celsius, please check the Conversions section of this site)
6. Boil the pasta in a large pot in well-salted water until al dente, or slightly undercooked with a bit of a bite to it. If you’re new to boiling pasta, check it periodically to make sure you don’t overcook it.
7. Grease a glass casserole dish or pan with some canola or olive oil
8. When the pasta is done, drain it and then ladle it in the glass oven-proof pan or casserole dish.
9. Ladle the sauce on top and make sure to cover it with a generous layer of sauce.
10. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top until the mixture is well-covered in cheese.
11. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted completely and is slightly brown on top.
12. Allow to cool for five minutes then serve it into plates. Enjoy! You can serve it with a mixed salad.

For more camel meat recipes, check out:

1. Camel Tagine with Couscous
2. Camel Kofta

Do you like pasta bakes? What’s the most interesting ingredient you’ve ever used in a pasta bake? What interesting meats have you tried? Let me know in the comments.

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