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Meet Stracotto, the Italian pot roast you didn’t know you were missing! A seared roast is slowly braised in a rich, hearty tomato sauce until it is melt-in-your-mouth tender. The sauce alone is worth making this recipe for!
Reasons This Recipe Is a 10/10
- Fall-Apart Tender Beef: The roast slowly braises in the oven until it’s ultra tender and packed with rich flavor.
- A Sauce With Incredible Depth: The tomato-based sauce simmers for hours, developing bold, savory flavor that’s perfect for spooning over pasta, mashed potatoes, or creamy polenta.
- Even Better the Next Day:Â The leftovers are just as delicious! My family happily sopped up the extra sauce with buttered, crusty bread, which might have been my favorite part. Â
Ingredients for Italian Pot Roast
- Choose the Right Cut of Beef:Â I used a chuck roast, but a round roast or brisket (with most of the fat cap trimmed) works great too.
- Wine Substitutions: If you’d rather skip the wine, swap in beef broth or apple juice. Add 1–2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to give the sauce a touch of acidity.
How to Make Stracotto
If your go-to comfort food is a classic pot roast like my Mississippi version, you’re going to love this Italian twist. It’s easy to prepare, and while it simmers low and slow in the oven, the flavorful sauce and juicy beef make every minute worth the wait.
- Sear the Beef: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cut the roast into a few smaller pieces, pat dry with paper towels, and season all sides of the beef with salt and pepper. Heat a large, oven-safe pot or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the pot and sear on all sides for 3-4 minutes per side, until a deep crust forms. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Cook Vegetables: Lower the heat to medium and add the olive oil, onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Wine: Add the wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits up from the bottom of the pan.
- Broth: Stir in the beef broth.
- Add Herbs & Tomatoes: Stir in tomato paste, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Roast: Add the beef back to the pot, then place the lid on and transfer it to the oven. Bake for 3 ½-5 hours, until the beef is easily shredded with two forks. Discard the bay leaves and herb stems before serving Italian Pot Roast.
Alyssa’s Pro Tip
Save Time on Veggies: For quicker prep, toss the onions, celery, and carrots into a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. You’ll get perfectly sized pieces without the extra chopping.
Other Italian Pot Roast Cooking Methods
- Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Combine everything except the beef in a large 6 or 7-quart slow-cooker. Brown the beef as directed in the recipe card, then add it to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours, or on HIGH for 4-6 hours.
- Stovetop Instructions:
- Instead of transferring the pot to the oven in step 6, simmer over medium-low heat on the stovetop for 3-4 hours, until the beef is tender and shreddable. Carefully stir the sauce every 30 minutes or so to prevent burning.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut 3-4 pounds chuck roast into a few smaller pieces, pat dry with paper towels, and season all sides of the beef with salt and ground black pepper.
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Heat a large, oven-safe pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the pot and sear on all sides for 3-4 minutes per side until a deep crust has formed. Remove to a plate and set aside.
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Lower the heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 cups diced onion, 1 ½ cups diced carrots, and 1 cup diced celery to the pot. Cook for 3 minutes before adding 2 tablespoons minced garlic and cook for another minute.
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Add 1 cup dry red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits up from the bottom of the pan.
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Stir in 1 ½ cups beef broth, then add 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 cups crushed tomatoes, 2 bay leaves, 5 sprigs fresh thyme ,1 sprig fresh rosemary, and salt and ground black pepper to taste.
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Add the beef back to the pot, then place the lid on and transfer it to the oven. Bake for 3 ½-5 hours, until the beef is easily shredded with two forks. Discard the bay leaves and herb stems before serving.
- Fridge: Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave in 1- minute increments, or on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring frequently.
- Freezer:Â Store the cooked pot roast and sauce in the freezer in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator for 24 hours (or longer if needed), then heat over medium heat on the stovetop, stirring frequently.
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Calories: 606kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 54gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 183mgSodium: 624mgPotassium: 1441mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 5754IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 116mgIron: 7mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
