Delicious Italian Pot Roast with Pasta otherwise known as a Stracotto.
Beef, cooked slowly with pancetta, carrots, onion, celery, garlic & sundried tomato puree on a low heat for hours in red wine and beef stock with thyme and bay leaves.
What joint of beef to use for Italian Pot Roast?
- Chuck/Blade/Shoulder, are the best option look for lots of fat marbling for a juicy pot roast.
- Brisket, also works well for pot roast, will require basting every hour.
- Topside/Silverside, will need regular basting.
- Shin/Shank/Skirt, less expensive but flavoursome cut.
- Braising Steak, not the best option but can be slow-cooked.
We used Brisket as it was a special offer in Sainsbury's Supermarket.
How to make Italian Pot Roast?
See our step by step video on how we made this delicious recipe. The full ingredients and cooking times are on the recipe card below.
The first step is to sear all sides of your meat in olive oil, giving it a nice well browned outer crust. Remove the beef, keeping the oil in the pan.
Add in the carrot, onion, celery, and pancetta, stirring in for a few minutes until softened. Add Garlic and Sundried Tomato Puree (or normal tomato puree).
Next, add beef stock and red wine ( we used So Organic Sainsburys Shiraz) bring to the boil, turn the temperature down, before returning the beef back to the pan.
Add plenty of salt and pepper, and twist the thyme around a couple of bay leaves to add to the sauce. Making it easier to find them when you want to remove them later!
Cover and cook in the oven at 150 C/ 300 F for a 2 ½ hours in total. This was a 1.24kg piece of meat, adjust accordingly to the size of your joint.
We basted our meat with the cooking liquid twice during cooking (after each hour). After 2 ½ hrs cooking, remove from oven.
Remove the beef from the cast iron pan and place the beef aside to rest.
Now skim as much fat from the pan as possible, use a ladle and push down, trying to get the oil, not the sauce. You need some patience for this!
Then mix cornstarch with water before adding to the sauce (this helps prevent lumps by adding corn starch straight into pan).
Bring to the boil and stir in, put back to simmer, whilst you cook pasta.
Whilst the pasta is cooking and the sauce is thickening carve your meat.
What to serve with Stracotto?
We served ours up with Gemelli All'uovo pasta, which is an Italian egg pasta consisting of two strands twisted together. You can use your prefered pasta.
Alternatively, Italian Pot Roast is often served with Polenta, Mashed Potato or part of a roast dinner.
Place sliced beef on top of the pasta, pouring the rich sauce all over. Add a sprinkle of fresh Thyme and parmesan cheese. You are ready to eat.
📖 Step by Step Recipe
Italian Pot Roast With Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1.24 kg Beef Joint - Chunk, Brisket, Flank, Skirt, Topside, Silverside
- 100 gram Pancetta - Diced
- 3 Carrots - diced small cubes
- 1 Celery stick - diced
- 1 Large Onion - diced
- 1 tablespoon Gia Garlic Puree - or 6 cloves of garlic, crushed.
- 1 tablespoon Gia Sundried Tomato Puree - or 2 tablespoon tomato puree
- 400 ml Red wine
- 400 ml Beef Stock
- 2 Bay leaves
- Thyme - Bunch
- salt and pepper - To season
- 500 gram Pasta - We used Gemelli Alluovo
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch - mixed with 2 tablespoon of water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 150°C (fan)/ 300F
- Add 3 tablespoon of oil to a large cast-iron (hob to oven) pan on medium heat. Place beef joint in pan and sear meat on all sides, should take about 5 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate, leaving oil for the next step.3 tablespoon Olive oil, 1.24 kg Beef Joint
- Add carrot, celery, onion and pancetta to the pan, fry on medium heat for 7 minutes3 Carrots, 1 Celery stick, 1 Large Onion, 100 gram Pancetta
- Stir in Garlic and Sundried Tomato Puree.1 tablespoon Gia Garlic Puree, 1 tablespoon Gia Sundried Tomato Puree
- Add red wine and beef stock bring to the boil, turn the heat off.400 ml Red wine, 400 ml Beef Stock
- Return beef to pan, season with salt & plenty of pepper add thyme & bay leaves in the sauce.1.24 kg Beef Joint, 2 Bay leaves, Thyme, salt and pepper
- Cover and transfer to the oven. Total cook time is 2 ½ hours. However, I recommend to baste with the sauce at each hour. So time for 1 hour, baste, 1 hour, baste, then final 30 minutes. Keep covered the whole time.
- After 2 ½ hours. Remove beef from the pan and place aside rest. Throw away the bay leaves and thyme.Try to skim as much oil as possible from the top of the leftover sauce. Add Cornstarch and water mixture into the pan and bring to the boil, turn heat to a simmer and leave to thicken, Meanwhile, cook pasta to packet instructions.1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- Whilst the pasta cooks and sauce thickens, slice beef into thin slices.
- Serve pasta into a bowl, place sliced beef in centre and top with the delicious sauce. Add a sprinkle of parmesan and fresh thyme leaves.500 gram Pasta
- Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
If you are looking for another easy and delicious meaty pasta dish, look no further and try our Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese.
If you enjoyed this Italian Pot Roast with Pasta. Why not check out these equally delicious recipes to cook in cast iron dish take a look at our Curried Mince Hotpot or Persian Lamb Shanks.
Nic says
This looks amazing! Always wonder what to put with pasta apart from the same boring sauces!
Luke and Kay says
Hi Nic, thanks so much for your interest in our Italian Pot Roast with Pasta - we are thrilled to hear that it inspired you! Our aim is to offer delicious and exciting dishes that the whole family will love, and it sounds like this one was a winner. 🙂
R Reyna says
I am a Sicilian Italian. This pot roast brought back a lot of memories.
Every Sunday was pasta and meatballs or the roast that cooked in the spaghetti sauce for at least two to three hours. I remember my father trying to slice it, It was so tender it would fall in pieces on the plate.
When I read these recipes my mouth started to water. Sooo good.
I’m going to make it for my Granddaughter, she has never tried it but I know she will like it , who wouldn’t?
It is a soul food dish.
R R
Kay says
Thank you for your review and for sharing your memories of Italian Sunday dinners with us, R.R.! This pot roast recipe is definitely reminiscent of those classic dishes, and we're so glad you enjoyed it.
We think this would be a great meal to make for your granddaughter - we're sure she'll love it too! 🙂
LIz S says
This recipe is very close to my mother's recipe. She was from Verona and made such a wonderful Stufato. Over spaghetti is my choice, husband would probably want mashed potatoes 🙂
Kay says
Thank you for trying our Italian Pot Roast with Pasta recipe, Liz! We're so happy to hear that it is similar to your mother's recipe. 🙂
If you like Italian food you might like our Olive & Herb Focaccia Bread or our Italian Style Rice Salad they are superb 😉
Natalie says
When I saw this recipe I had to do it right away. Just looking at the images made me hungry, lol. As a big meat lover, I have to say this one is one of the top recipes for me.
Kay says
Wow, that's brilliant; thank you so much, Natalie; pleased you loved our pot roast recipe; it's a big winner in our family home 🙂
Colleen says
I made this pot roast for my in laws and they were very impressed. Will make it again for sure!
Kay says
Thank you, Colleen; it's always a big bonus to hear that you impressed your family with our Italian pot roast recipe 🙂
Enjoy when you make it again 😉
Lilly says
This pot roast pasta is divine! The flavors are delicious! My family and I enjoyed every bite
Kay says
Thank you so much, Lilly; so glad your family loved our Italian pot roast recipe 🙂
Jill says
So i had never tried stracotto before but the flavors and cooking method make it the perfect comfort meal! Thanks for the detailed recipe!!
Kay says
Thank you, Jill; so pleased you like our Stracotto recipe; it really is a great comfort meal 😉
Enjoy!!
Gloria says
We are pasta lovers in this house. What a nice change from traditional meat sauce. Perfect for feeding a hungry crowd.
Kay says
Thanks for the comment, Gloria 🙂
This is the perfect family dinner and your right; it does beat having the same old pasta sauce; this recipe has so many flavours, its delicious; my family loves this dish 😉
Irina says
Your recipe is to die for... I made it for our lunch today. OMG! It is mouthwatering, yummy, and delicious. I need to invite my close family and repeat this experience!!
Kay says
Thank you for that great comment, we are really pleased you enjoyed the Italian pot roast 🙂
Let us know what your family think of the dish?
Tara says
Such a comforting pot roast! All those flavors sound absolutely amazing and it looks wonderful over that bed of pasta. Yum!
Kay says
Thank you, Tara
Hope you like the pot roast recipe, enjoy 🙂
Beth says
This was definitely a summer favorite! So delicious and yummy! Can’t wait to make this again this weekend!
Kay says
Hi Beth, thanks for the comment:)
Really glad you liked the recipe, and enjoy the pot roast this weekend!!
Adrianne says
The combo of beef and pancetta sounds delightful! Yum, can't wait to try this.
Kay says
Thanks, Adrianne for the comment
Hope you enjoy the recipe let us know how you get on?
Jere Cassidy says
Yum! Love the Italian take on this pot roast. This is a perfect Sunday supper.
Kay says
Thanks, Jere for the comment
Yes, this does make the perfect Sunday dinner, hope you enjoy the recipe and let us know your thoughts?