A slow braised Italian style pot roast in a tasty tomato sauce.
Pot roasts are among my favourite meals and this Italian style pot roast is just packed with flavour! This recipe is super simple! You brown the beef, cook pancetta (bacon) and veggies before adding broth, tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, and Italian seasoning braising until the beef is falling apart tender! You can either simmer pot roast on the stove, or in the oven, or in a slow cooker making things nice and easy! I like to serve this Italian style pot roast over gorgonzola polenta, or pasta, or gnocchi, or mashed potatoes, etc.
Italian Pot Roast (Stracotto)
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes Servings: 6
A slow braised Italian style pot roast in a tasty tomato sauce.
ingredients
- 4 ounces bacon (or pancetta), diced (optional)
- 3 pounds beef (such as chuck), cut into 3 large pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup carrot, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (link) (or oregano)
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
directions
- Cook the bacon in a large oven safe saucepan (dutch oven), over medium heat, before setting aside.
- Season the beef with salt and pepper and sear/brown in the bacon grease, over medium-high heat, in the pan, about 4-6 minutes per side, before setting aside.
- Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until tender, about 7-10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, and bacon, and mix before adding the beef.
- Either: (1) bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the beef is falling apart tender, about 2-4 hours; OR (2) cover, transfer to a preheated to 275F/140C oven and cook until falling apart tender, about 2-4 hours; OR (3) transfer to a slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 4-6 hours.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, remove the bay leaves, and enjoy!
Option: Add 1 ounce of reconstituted and chopped dried porcini mushrooms, along with the onions, carrots, and celery.
Option: Replace some or all of the broth with a dry white or red wine.
Option: Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste along with the garlic.
Option: Add 1 teaspoon sage, chopped or (1/2 teaspoon dried).
Option: Add 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
Option: Add 1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce (gluten-free for gluten-free).
Option: Add 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (gluten-free for gluten-free).
Option: Add 1/4 cup grated parmesan, at the end.
Option: Serve over pasta, gnocchi, polenta, mashed potatoes, etc.
Option: Replace some or all of the broth with a dry white or red wine.
Option: Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste along with the garlic.
Option: Add 1 teaspoon sage, chopped or (1/2 teaspoon dried).
Option: Add 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
Option: Add 1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce (gluten-free for gluten-free).
Option: Add 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (gluten-free for gluten-free).
Option: Add 1/4 cup grated parmesan, at the end.
Option: Serve over pasta, gnocchi, polenta, mashed potatoes, etc.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 427, Fat 18g (Saturated 7g, Trans 0.5g), Cholesterol 155mg, Sodium 636mg, Carbs 12g (Fiber 2g, Sugars 5g), Protein 55g
Nutrition by: 
Oh yum! This looks delicious and easy to prepare. I’ll try it! Mahalo, Kiyo
you need too! this dish is absolutely amazing! in the fall and winter, I make it once a month. Because that’s my costco run time! get their roast and make this dish! mangia, freeze the leftovers!!! Aloha!
This looks similar to a recipe my mother in law used to make she adds chorizo and cut up potatoes delicious!
Kevin, I am sure you make some wonderful dishes in your closet kitchen, but this is not it. This is not Italian stracotto, call it whatever you want, but not that.
Thank you, God, for coming down from your throne long enough to tell everyone your opinion about what this should and should not be called. Now, if you could only find someone who cares…
Lol
YEAH!!!!!
Sorry, he is right…however nice recipe 😅
That’s his way of making it 😊
we lived there for time. tell the old Nonna next door. looks like her recipe. guess she was wrong too, Karen.
My internet research tells me that the word “stracotto” literally means ‘overcooked’. So the term applies to this type of recipe, which can also be called brasato di manzo, or simply, braised beef.
Give us your version if this isn’t it PLEASE ATTACH PICTURES AS WELL! If you won’t do that then you should keep your Rude mouth shut🤷🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
Made this today in an electric frypan. Used beef roast as it was on sale. I reckon we will get 8 plates out of this and maybe a few sandwiches. It was delicious. I will definitely be making this again. Might add some more root veggies to it next time. Thanks for sharing.
Can you add potatoes to the roast? And if you can when would you add them?
Yes you can! You can add them at the beginning of Step 6.
Made this for dinner and it was absolutely delicious. Highly recommend.
Looks good, and since I always cook my pot roast with celery, onions, carrots and stewed tomatoes, I’m sure I would really enjoy it. Boiled potatoes, mashed, oven roasted or harvest time baby b’s boiled in their jackets, sliced in half and fried in butter with salt and pepper.
Can I do this in the slow cooker?
Yes you can! Please see step 6 for the slow cooker instructions. You can also skip steps 2-5 and just throw everything into the slow cooker. Enjoy!
what would be your directions for crackpot? This just looks amazing!
Please see step 6 for the crockpot cooking instructions! You could, optionally, omit steps 2-5 and just throw everything into the slow cooker.
Could you freeze this for later?
This freezes well!
I’m making this today. Can’t wait! Sounds delicious!!!!!! I massage the meat with low sodium Worcestershire sauce. OMG
Maybe this isn’t the same Stracotto that some people are used to, IDK because I’ve never made it. before. But different regions in Italy may have different names and/or ingredients. Whatever you choose to call it, whether you think it’s authentic or not, it still looks really tasty. I’ll definitely make it.
I love Parmesan polenta Would that work just as well?
Parmesan polenta is really good with this!
Could I use eye of round for this?
Yes you can!
I made this in the insta pot. 40min, natural release. Added worcestershire and tomato paste. Ate it with zuchinni cheddar biscuits. Came out absolutely delicious.
How long do sear the beef per side?
Sear the beef until lightly browned, about 4-6 minutes per side. (I update the recipe to indicate this.) Enjoy!
This turned out delicious!!! I will definitely be making this again. So flavorful, comforting, & the recipe was easy to follow. I made mine with the Gorgonzola polenta & it was perfect together.
question, can double ingredients for 6lbs meat?
Doubling the ingredients for 6 pounds of meat is perfect. Enjoy!
hi Kevin, well you knocked it out of the ballpark with this one!! I added some red wine and tomato paste, and cooked it in the oven. I added some water after 2 hours, it had cooked down considerably. It was so good, thankfully we have leftovers!!
This is the second time I have made this recipe and it is so darn good. I had my neighbor over for the first roll out and she agreed. Now I’m making it for my neighbor on the other side. 🥰
Can I use tomato sauce instead of crushed tomatoes? my kids hate chunky tomatoes in a sauce.
Yeas you can! Enjoy!
I made this for my Italian husband and he loved it!
His Nonna (born and raised in Itally) used to make something very similar. I prepped everything the night before and put it in the slow cooker before I went to work for thr day, the flavour was awesome.
lol dont worry about the internet Karens they obviously dont realise different regions of Itally have different recipies but i guess they think their opnions are the only ones that matter :p
I cooked this meal and the flavours were delicious!
I am fussy with meat so l used eye fillet in a slow cooker for 6 hrs and it was heart warming great for a winters night l served with potato mash… yum! 👍🏼
This was fabulous! I made it with gnocchi and every one had seconds! Tender and very delicious, I will make this again
Loved this recipe! Made it for dinner last night and it turned out delicious. The flavors were amazing and it was so easy to follow. Will definitely be making it again!
I made this exactly as directed using fresh tomatoes and herbs from my garden, and it is FABULOUS! It freezes well, too. This one is going in my keeper binder. Thank you!
Made this for my wine-themed birthday bash. Our guests LOVED it! Used the recipe as foundation and made it a little boozy with 3cups of dry, red wine instead of only tomato sauce. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
This looks amazing, so I’m going to give it a try. You have a nice large list of options. May I ask which, if any, you regularly add?
Can I cook this in the oven? What temp and how long would you ballpark?
Yes! In step 6 you can transfer to a preheated to 275F/140C oven and cook until falling apart tender, about 2-4 hours. Enjoy!
I doubled the recipe and am glad I did: it’s excellent! My family loved it and loves the leftovers. Will be pinned and remade. Thanks for sharing this!
Made this for dinner with friends. Everyone loved it, and the fact that I could make ahead and not miss conversation during cocktails made it the perfect meal. Subbed red for half of the broth. Delicious and maybe even better leftover. Thank you, Kevin! Love all of your recipes but this is a favorite.
Cooked this last night and it was great, however, next time I’ll add cannelloni beans & a spoon of sugar as I found it very slightly bitter. Served with sourdough bread it was a fullsome meal.