Italian Pot Roast (Stracotto)

 

🇮🇹 Italian Pot Roast (Stracotto): Slow-Cooked Comfort with Bold Flavor

If you love meals that fill your home with warmth, rich aromas, and the promise of something hearty and satisfying, then Stracotto — Italy’s answer to pot roast — belongs at the center of your table.

Translated as “overcooked,” Stracotto is anything but dry or dull. This Italian-style pot roast is slow-simmered in a fragrant bath of red wine, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs until it’s so tender it practically falls apart with a fork. It’s rustic, comforting, and packed with deep, complex flavors — exactly what you want from a slow-cooked Sunday dinner.

---

📝 What Makes Stracotto Special?

While similar to classic American pot roast, Stracotto brings in the bold, savory flavors of Italian cuisine — think red wine, crushed tomatoes, rosemary, and garlic. It's often served over pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes to soak up all the luscious sauce.

And the best part? It’s a dish that tastes even better the next day.

---

🧄 Ingredients

• 3–4 lb beef chuck roast (or similar cut)

• Salt and black pepper

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 cups dry red wine

• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

• 1 cup beef broth

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 sprig rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)

• Optional: a pinch of red pepper flakes

---

🍷 How to Make Stracotto

1. Season & Sear:
   Pat the beef dry and season generously with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and sear the roast on all sides until deeply browned. Remove and set aside.

2. Sauté Aromatics:
   In the same pot, add onions, carrots, celery, and a pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 5–7 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste, cooking for another minute.

3. Deglaze with Wine:
   Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it simmer for 3–4 minutes.

4. Add Tomatoes & Herbs:
   Stir in crushed tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaves, and rosemary.

5. Simmer Low & Slow:
   Return the beef to the pot. Cover and cook on low heat for 3–4 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender. (Alternatively, cook in a 300°F/150°C oven.)

6. Shred & Serve:
   Discard bay leaves and rosemary stem. Shred the beef gently and return to the sauce. Serve over pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes.

---

🍽️ Serving Ideas

• With pappardelle or rigatoni for a rustic pasta dish

• Over creamy polenta for a classic Northern Italian pairing

• With crusty bread to mop up the rich sauce

• Add a sprinkle of parmesan and fresh parsley just before serving

---

🧊 Storage & Make-Ahead Tips

• Make ahead: Stracotto tastes even better the next day. Let cool, refrigerate overnight, and reheat gently.

• Freeze: Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

• Reheat: Warm gently on the stove or in the oven with a splash of broth or wine to loosen the sauce.

---

Final Thoughts

Italian Pot Roast (Stracotto) is more than just a meal — it’s a celebration of slow cooking and soul-satisfying flavor. With its rich sauce, fall-apart beef, and comforting aroma, this dish brings the warmth of an Italian kitchen right into your home.

Whether you’re cooking for Sunday supper, a dinner party, or meal prepping something extra special — this is the kind of recipe that turns an ordinary roast into something unforgettable.