Taco Pasta Sauce

• 1 large can peeled San Marzano tomatoes, drained (reserve juice in can if you want to thin the sauce later)
• 4-6 roasted poblano peppers, peeled and seeded
• 1 large onion
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Place all ingredients in bowl of food processor. Process until uniformly small, but still with visible pieces of all the elements. I think it ends up looking like salsa.
2. Pour into large skillet and heat over medium-low heat while you make the meatballs.

Taco Meatballs

• 1 lb ground venison
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1/2 cup ground tortilla shells (you could use flavored corn chips, but you might need to alter your seasoning)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon minced or roasted garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons taco seasoning:
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground California chiles
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1. Mix all ingredients well—I used my stand mixer.
2. Form into small meatballs of about 2 teaspoons each and drop into the sauce as it is heating. If it starts to bubble, lower the heat to a simmer.
3. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, uncovering the skillet during the last ten minutes to cook down any excess liquid from the vegetables. Remember that the onion and pepper in this recipe are not sauteed first, so they can water down the sauce on cooking, even though the tomato paste helps to thicken the sauce.

Serve over black bean spaghetti, cooked according to package directions. It cooks very quickly, about 6-8 minutes. This pasta has an interesting taste and texture that complements the taco flavors.