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🍅 Italian-Style Pot Roast (Italian Pot Roast / “Stracotto”) 🍖
This comforting dish features a slow-braised beef roast cooked with tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and vegetables until it becomes fork-tender. It’s rich, hearty, and perfect served over pasta, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread.
🛒 Ingredients
- 3–4 lb beef chuck roast
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 can (14–15 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp thyme
- 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
- Fresh parsley or basil for garnish
👨🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Season and Sear the Beef
- Pat roast dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven.
- Sear the roast 3–4 minutes per side until browned.
2️⃣ Cook the Vegetables
- Remove roast temporarily.
- In the same pot cook onion, carrots, and celery for about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
3️⃣ Build the Sauce
Add:
- crushed tomatoes
- beef broth
- tomato paste
- oregano, basil, thyme
- bay leaf
Stir well.
4️⃣ Slow Cook
Return the roast to the pot.
Cover and cook:
- Oven: 325°F (165°C) for 2½–3 hours, or
- Stovetop: very low simmer for 2–3 hours, or
- Slow cooker: 7–8 hours on low.
5️⃣ Finish
Stir in balsamic vinegar and remove bay leaf. Slice or shred the beef.
🍽️ Serve With
- pasta (like pappardelle) 🍝
- creamy mashed potatoes 🥔
- crusty bread 🥖
- polenta
💡 Tip:
The sauce left in the pot becomes an amazing Italian beef gravy—spoon it generously over the meat and pasta.
If you’d like, I can also show you:
- 🇮🇹 Authentic Italian “Stracotto” recipe from Tuscany
- 🍝 Italian pot roast pasta (restaurant style)
- 🥘 5-ingredient slow cooker Italian pot roast.