By The recipe Sunday was pot roast with spaghetti, the Italian-American Sunday-supper from A Family Feast. A 2.5-pound chuck roast slow-cooked in a tomato-sauce-and-broth braise with onion, garlic, herbs, for six hours, until shreddable. Pulled into long strands, mixed back into the sauce. Served over spaghetti with parmesan.
The math: chuck roast on the markdown $7.84, can of crushed tomatoes $1.49, beef broth, onion, garlic, herbs, spaghetti $0.89. Total: about $10.22 for three dinners.
The technique is the slow braise. The chuck roast becomes tender enough to shred with two forks, and the tomato sauce becomes deep and rich from the braising liquid. The pasta picks up the sauce.
Cody said, eating, this is what Italian grandmothers cook.
The recipe is below. The trick is the long slow braise.
Pot Roast with Spaghetti
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 3 hrs 30 min | Total Time: 3 hrs 50 min | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 to 3-1/2 lbs)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 16 oz spaghetti, cooked and drained
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Sear the roast. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season the chuck roast on all sides with salt and pepper, then sear until deeply browned on all sides, about 4–5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté aromatics. In the same pot, reduce heat to medium and add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Build the sauce. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, basil, oregano, sugar, and bay leaf. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Braise the roast. Return the seared roast to the pot, nestling it into the sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover tightly and simmer for 3 to 3-1/2 hours, turning the roast once halfway through, until the meat is fork-tender and falling apart.
- Shred the beef. Remove the roast from the pot and discard the bay leaf. Using two forks, shred the beef into large pieces. Return the shredded beef to the sauce and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve. Spoon the beef and sauce generously over plates of hot cooked spaghetti. Top with grated Parmesan and serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 520 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 52g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 680mg