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?
📖 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
This post was updated on 09/03/2025 by placing the recipe card higher up the page for a better user experience.
Keep on reading below for more details on ingredients and serving suggestions for your stracotto.
The first step is to sear all sides of your meat in olive oil, giving it a nice well, 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.
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.
Carole says
C
How can this be done in a crock pot?
Patrick says
Wow! This is making me feel super hungry right now.
Kay says
It will fill you up nicely!
Aline says
Anything I can make in my IP is my favorite, and roast with pasta is comfort food at its best!!! Perfect recipe for these times we're living in! Thanks!
Kay says
Hi Aline
Thanks for the comment
Hope you enjoy this recipe and stay safe 🙂
Kacey Perez says
This looks fabulous! And like our next Sunday family meal! Thanks for sharing!
Kay says
Hope you enjoyed xx
Elaine says
I remember I had stracotto once and it was at my friend's party. I remember it because the taste was unbelievable. I am very excited to try it make myself now!
Kay says
Elaine, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Danielle says
I've been craving pasta but I was not sure which one to make. I love how you made this pot roast with pasta, so I think I have found what I have been looking for. And that red wine must have given the dish so much flavor - yum!
Kay says
Yes I love red wine in meals, gives an extra richness! We are pasta lovers in this house!
Marisa F. Stewart says
My mouth is watering just looking at the pot roast. The meat looks so tender and I love the seasonings you use to prepare it. Now, we're huge fans of polenta so I would definitely put that roast on top of a big spoonful of polenta.
Kay says
Polenta is great to serve this Pot Roast on, I do hope you enjoy x
Leslie says
This could not be any more perfect! Well done with this recipe!
Kay says
Thank you Leslie! 🙂
Danielle says
One of the best pot roasts for me, that's for sure. I love the combo of pasta and pot roast and prefer it to many other options. Can't wait to give this recipe a try!
Kay says
Thanks Danielle, we love pasta in this house, clean plates all around!!
Tammy says
This looks absolutely delicious 😀 What a comforting meal and during these times we could all use a little more comfort food ^_^ My mouth is watering!
Kay says
We are definitely needing more comfort than ever at the moment!
Amy Liu Dong says
This recipe really makes my mouthwatering and I am sure it has a respectable taste.
Kay says
It tastes amazing Amy, hope you get to try it?
Heidy says
This is comfort food at it's finest. The roast looks tender and juicy. One of my big issues with some roasts is that they come out stringy---this looks perfect. Well done and I am super excited that I have all the ingredients I need!!
Kay says
We love a good roast, pork can go dry quickly, but the juices this is cooked in help keep it moist 🙂
Kelly Anthony says
This Italian pot roast looks like the perfect comfort meal. This meal will make the perfect ending to a long day.
Kay says
It is a great comfort meal 🙂
Amandalee Jones says
You make the most drool-worthy Sunday suppers! Love following your blog, amazing recipes!
Kay says
Ahh thanks, Amandalee, always lovely to hear great feedback!
mohan kumar says
This recipe looks great and really easy.I would certainly love to try the recipe.
Kay says
I'm sure you would love it!
Tamara Gutierrez says
This looks delicious. Thanks for including what joint to choose. I never know what to look for and sometimes end up choosing something that is resembles leather after being roasted.
Kay says
Glad to have helped you, no one likes a leathery roast! lol