Indulge in the rich and savory flavors of Italy with this tasty Spezzatino, an Italian Beef Stew. It's a great make-ahead dish that tastes even better as it sits, and lasts for a few days in the fridge. This hearty dish features tender chuck roast simmered to perfection in a fragrant medley of fresh herbs, vegetables, and a touch of red wine!
Beef stew is a comfort food enjoyed worldwide, known for its hearty and satisfying nature. Typically, it's made from tender chunks of beef simmered with a variety of vegetables, aromatic herbs, and a flavorful broth. Italian beef stew, known as "Spezzatino," stands out with its unique blend of flavors.
What sets it apart is the addition of red wine, passata (strained tomatoes), and a careful selection of herbs like thyme and rosemary. These elements from my Italian kitchen infuse the stew with a rich and robust Mediterranean flavor, making it unique and delicious!
This Italian beef stew with potatoes is easy to make! Simply sauté veggies and beef, add wine, passata, and water, then simmer for 2.5-3 hours. Add potatoes if desired, and enjoy a hearty, flavorful dish. The rich and savory flavor profile really shines thanks to the blend of tender beef, aromatic herbs, and the depth of red wine.
Spezzatino is incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed in various ways to suit different occasions. You can serve it on its own for a hearty and satisfying meal or pair it with creamy polenta for a classic Italian combination.
Or ladle it over a bed of velvety polenta or mashed potatoes for extra comfort. Whether it's a cozy family dinner, a casual get-together with friends, or a comforting meal on a chilly day, Italian beef stew is a go-to choice!
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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Packed with robust Italian flavors, this beef stew combines tender meat with a fragrant medley of herbs and red wine for a truly satisfying taste experience.
- It's an effortlessly easy recipe that allows you to enjoy a hearty, homemade Italian meal with little effort, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
- With the option to include potatoes or serve it with creamy polenta or mashed potatoes, this recipe offers versatility when it comes to serving.
🥕 Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive Oil - Serving as the cooking fat, it provides a rich base for sautéing the carrots, celery and onions and beef while adding a subtle, fruity undertone to the dish.
- Carrots, celery, onions - This classic trio of aromatic vegetables forms the flavor foundation of the stew, imparting a sweet, savory, and aromatic essence as they cook down.
- Fresh and Dried Herbs (thyme, rosemary, bay leaf) - Infusing the stew with earthy and herbal notes, these fresh herbs enhance its overall depth and complexity of flavor.
- Chuck Roast - Typically a tougher cut, it becomes tender and succulent as it simmers in the stew, providing the protein-rich heartiness that makes this dish so satisfying.
- Red Wine - Adding depth, richness, and a touch of acidity, it contributes complexity to the flavor profile while also helping to tenderize the beef.
- Passata - Bringing a smooth and tomatoey consistency to the stew, it acts as the base for the sauce and lends a subtle sweetness and acidity.
- Chopped Potatoes - Offering a comforting and starchy element to the dish, they absorb the flavorful broth and provide a hearty, satisfying texture.
- Salt and Pepper - Essential for enhancing and balancing the flavors in the stew.
👩🏽🍳 How To Make Italian Beef Stew (Spezzatino)
Cook the aromatics: Add the olive oil to a heavy-bottomed pot and heat over medium. Once the oil is hot, add the carrots, celery, and onion, along with the fresh herbs, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Saute until the vegetables begin to soften for five minutes.
Add the beef: To the pot with the vegetables, add the beef stew meat. Let the meat brown on all sides for ten minutes.
Create the sauce: Pour the red wine into the pot. Let the alcohol evaporate off. Add the passata and water, along with a bit more salt and pepper, and let it come to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, put a lid on the pot, and let the stew cook, stirring occasionally. Cook for 2.5-3 hours or until the meat is tender.
Add potatoes: If adding potatoes, add them when there is one hour and fifteen minutes left in the cooking time (about halfway through). Add ½ to one cup of water if necessary.
Serve and enjoy: The stew is finished cooking when the beef is tender, and the potatoes are cooked through. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Enjoy!
🗒️ Recipe Tips
- Opt for a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, as it distributes heat evenly and prevents the stew from sticking to the bottom.
- Chuck roast is recommended to use (you can ask your butcher to cut it into cubes) as you don't really know what you're getting if you buy stew beef. However, stew beef (usually comes cut up in cubes already) will work in a pinch
- If the stew is drying up during the cook time, simply add more water.
- Don't rush the initial sauté of the carrots, celery and onions. Allowing them to cook down for about 5 minutes will develop their flavors more fully.
- Use a red wine you enjoy drinking, as it will contribute to the overall flavor of the stew. A medium-bodied red wine, like a Merlot or Chianti, works well.
- If you prefer a thicker stew, you can mix 1-2 tablespoons of flour with water to create a slurry and stir it into the simmering stew. This will thicken the broth.
- When adding potatoes, make sure they are cut into evenly sized pieces to ensure they cook uniformly and are tender by the end of the cooking time.
- Leftovers of this Italian beef stew tend to taste even better the next day as the flavors continue to meld, so consider making extra for future meals.
🍄 Variations
- For a meatless version, replace the stew beef with hearty mushrooms, like cremini or portobello, to create a robust mushroom stew. Sauté them until golden brown before adding the wine and passata.
- Add a kick of heat by incorporating red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper when sautéing the vegetables for a spicy Italian beef stew.
- Experiment with different herbs based on your preferences. Try oregano, basil, or marjoram for a fresh twist on the traditional flavor profile.
- Swap red wine for white wine to create a lighter, slightly tangy version of the stew. Pair it with chicken or turkey for a delicious alternative.
- Instead of or in addition to potatoes, use a combination of root vegetables like parsnips, turnips, and rutabagas to add depth and variety to the dish.
- Enhance the beefy flavor by using beef broth or stock in place of some or all of the water, resulting in a more intense, meat-forward stew.
- For added protein and texture, throw in a can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans or kidney beans during the last 15 minutes of simmering.
- Adding the potatoes are optional, many Italian beef stews do not add potatoes
- If not adding potatoes to the stew, you can serve the potatoes over polenta or mashed potatoes
🧊 Storing & Freezing
Storing: To store leftover beef stew, allow it to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of water if needed to restore the consistency.
Freezing: Once it has cooled completely, portion it into airtight, freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, leaving some space for expansion. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3-4 months. To reheat, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and then warm it on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through.
❓FAQ
While traditional Italian beef stew uses beef, you can experiment with other meats like lamb, pork, or even chicken for a unique twist. Adjust the cooking time as needed based on the meat you choose.
If you don't have red wine, you can substitute it with beef or vegetable broth for a non-alcoholic version. The wine adds depth of flavor, but the stew will still be delicious without it.
To use a slow cooker, follow the initial sautéing steps in a pan, then transfer everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the meat is tender. For an Instant Pot, select the sauté function first, then pressure cook for about 30-40 minutes with a quick release.
You will notice that in the Italian recipe, the meat does not get browned first. Instead the meat is added to the softened vegetables, and it will absorb the flavor of the vegetables. This creates a sweeter stew in the end.
🇮🇹 More Hearty Italian Dinner Recipes
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Recipe
Italian Beef Stew (Spezzatino)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1.5 cups chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped onion white or yellow
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves (dried)
- 1 kg chuck roast cut into cubes
- ½ cup red wine
- 1 cup passata (crushed strained tomatoes)
- 2 cups water plus more if needed
- 4 cups chopped potatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- To a large heavy-bottomed pot, add the olive oil over medium heat.
- Once olive oil is warmed through, add the carrots, celery and onion. Add the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves, along with salt and pepper.
- Let vegetables cook down, about 5 minutes.
- Add the beef and let it brown, about 10 minutes. Note that the beef will not caramelize, since it was added after the vegetables.
- Add the wine, and let the alcohol evaporate off, a few minutes.
- Add the passata and water, along with a bit more salt and pepper and let it come to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, put a lid on the pot, and let stew cook, stirring occasionally.
- Stew should cook for about 2.5-3 hours.
- If adding potatoes, add them when there is about 1 hour 15 minutes left in total cook time. Add more water if necessary (about ½ cup to 1 cup water)
- Beef and potatoes should be tender at the end of cook time. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Opt for a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, as it distributes heat evenly and prevents the stew from sticking to the bottom.
- Chuck roast is recommended to use (you can ask your butcher to cut it into cubes) as you don't really know what you're getting if you buy stew beef. However, stew beef (usually comes cut up in cubes already) will work in a pinch
- If the stew is drying up during the cook time, simply add more water.
- Don't rush the initial sauté of the carrots, celery and onions. Allowing them to cook down for about 5 minutes will develop their flavors more fully.
- Use a red wine you enjoy drinking, as it will contribute to the overall flavor of the stew. A medium-bodied red wine, like a Merlot or Chianti, works well.
- If you prefer a thicker stew, you can mix 1-2 tablespoons of flour with water to create a slurry and stir it into the simmering stew. This will thicken the broth.
- When adding potatoes, make sure they are cut into evenly sized pieces to ensure they cook uniformly and are tender by the end of the cooking time.
- Leftovers of this Italian beef stew tend to taste even better the next day as the flavors continue to meld, so consider making extra for future meals.
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