My Italian Pot Roast is a sensationally tender pot roast braised in a savory tomato sauce that melts in your mouth. It is filled with tons of great Italian flavors and spice.
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A great bottle of wine makes the best Italian dishes. I consider myself an expert on this. That’s because I think my husband might be Italian, and he just doesn’t know it. No one person can love Italian food so much without having those roots somewhere. Because of this love, we have tried tons of Italian restaurants in Chicago, and I have cooked more pasta and bolognese in my day than most people but this Nana’s Italian Pot Roast is extra special.
Several years ago when my husband and I were still courting (that means dating for all the youngins), we frequented a restaurant in Chicago that served a dish called Nana’s Gravy. The name was the catch for me. Anything with grandmother in the title immediately strikes a cord.
What Is Italian Pot Roast?
This Italian Pot Roast recipe is a delicious slowly braised beef in an indulgent tomato sauce over rigatoni. It is absolutely delicious.
Just imagine beef so tender that it falls off the bone submerged in a decadent crushed tomato sauce filled with caramelized onions, garlic, Italian seasonings, chicken stock and wine.
Key Ingredients
To create a truly tender pot roast Italian style, it really begins with the base sauce. This sauce is almost like a bolognese because the meat braises in the sauce for hours until the beef just falls completely apart, very similar to these Pomegranate Braised Short Ribs. The key ingredients for this Bolognese sauce are:
- Onions
- Garlic
- Tomatoes
- Red Wine
- Stock
- Italian Seasonings
Starting with the aromatics, they truly add not just additional flavor but nuances of flavor to the finishes sauce. By doing a saute’ of them at the very beginning, they allow those ingredients to truly become one with the sauce as it continues to develop hours later.
For the tomatoes, I use a combination of crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. It adds various textures and thickness creating the consistency and thickness I prefer.
The wine is seriously essential here. It really brought out the intense flavors and deliciousness of the beef.
Finally a stock helps to round out the flavor so you don’t taste too much wine. I use chicken stock but feel free to use beef or even vegetable stock if you want.
And finally a mix of Italian seasonings truly brings this home creating the best base you have ever tasted!!
How to Make Italian Pot Roast
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Liberally season both sides of beef with salt and pepper. Don’t be shy. They will need lots of flavor.
- Add olive oil to large pot over medium high heat on stove.
- Once olive oil is hot, add beef to pot and deeply brown on all sides then remove from pot.
- Scrap the bottom of the pan to get the flavor back into the oil. Next add chopped onion and sweat them for a few minutes until they start to soften and turn golden.
- Add in minced garlic and only cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, red wine, and chicken stock. Stir in Italian seasoning, sugar, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Bring sauce to a simmer.
- Lastly return browned beef to pot and submerge in the sauce.
- Bake covered for 3 1/2- 4 1/2 hours or until beef is cooked through, tender and falling off the bone and sauce has thickened. This will depend on the thickness of beef.
- Remove pot from oven and gently ladle the oil off the top of the sauce which has settled. Simmer over medium low heat to thicken sauce.
- Cook pasta according to instructions on package and drain.
- Serve completed gravy by adding pasta to serving platter, topping with meat and gravy and garnishing with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.
How to Serve Italian Pot Roast with Bolognese Sauce Recipe
- Serve over pasta like a cooked rigatoni to soak up that flavor.
- Try this deliciousness over a polenta or Creamy Grits!
- These balsamic Brussels Sprouts are a great way to add something green.
- Don’t forget the most perfect Cheese Breadsticks to serve with your Italian dish!
How to Store
To store Italian Pot Roast, let it cool completely, then transfer it into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, reheat it slowly on the stove over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s warmed through. This method ensures the roast stays tender and flavorful, just like when it was first cooked!
Favorite Pasta Recipes
Beef Ragu
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds short ribs beef shanks or pot roast
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes 1 can
- 15 ounces tomato sauce 1 can
- 1/3 cup red wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning and herbs
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound pappardelle pasta cooked
- chopped parsley and parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Liberally season both sides of beef with salt and pepper. Don’t be shy. They will need lots of flavor.
- Add olive oil to large pot over medium high heat on stove.
- Once olive oil is hot, add beef to pot and deeply brown on all sides then remove from pot.
- Scrape the bottom of the pan to get the flavor back into the oil. Next add chopped onion and sweat them for a few minutes until they start to soften and turn golden.
- Add in minced garlic and only cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, red wine, and chicken stock. Stir in Italian seasoning, sugar, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Bring sauce to a simmer.
- Lastly return browned beef to pot and submerge in the sauce.
- Bake covered for 3 1/2- 4 1/2 hours or until beef is cooked through, tender and falling off the bone and sauce has thickened. This will depend on the thickness of beef.
- Remove pot from oven and gently ladle the oil off the top of the sauce which has settled. Simmer over medium low heat to thicken sauce.
- Cook pasta according to instructions on package and drain.
- Serve completed gravy by adding pasta to serving platter and mixing together with gravy to sauce the noodles then topping with meat and gravy and garnishing with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.
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I am Italian, and this recipe Is better than mine.. I made it for my family and they all loved. ThaNk you for sharing..i did make it in slow cooker and cooked it 8 hours on low..best ever!!
Oh girl, you made my day! That is such a high compliment!!
Hello, What’s the best substitute for red wine in this recipe
You can use cranberry juice or pomegranate (just make sure it’s 100% juice not like cranberry cocktail you find in the juice aisle)
Any chance this can be made in crockpot after it’s browned? If so,how long do you think in crockpot?
Yes absolutely. I think you could cook on low for about 7-8 hours and on high for about 4-5 hours. Let me know how it turns out. It should be super tender so continue cooking if it isn’t by that time.
Thanks for your help. Made this in the crockpot. It was delicious…my family really enjoyed it.
Thanks for an awesome recipe!
Sautéed bite size cubes of chuck roast then everything went in crockpot for 7 hours.Great flavor.Meat extremely ely tender