Click here for a PDF of this recipe without photos.
Adapted from La Cucina Italiana
- ½ cup double-concentrated tomato paste
- 3 onions, thinly sliced
- 6 oz. pancetta, finely chopped
- 6 Tb extra virgin olive oil
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 – 2.5 lbs boneless chuck roast
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1.5 – 2 lbs fusili col buco, bucatini, or other dry pasta
5 hours before you want to eat – combine tomato paste with 3 cups of water; set aside until ready to use. In a large dutch oven set over medium heat, combine onions, pancetta, and 3 Tb olive oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and garlic and cook another 3 – 5 minutes. Scrape vegetables to the sides of the pot and add the meat to the middle.
Cook for 5 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for 5 minutes. (You may also want to stir the vegetables to keep those on the bottom from burning.) Add wine, stir, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until wine has mostly evaporated – about 7 minutes.
4 hours, 20 minutes before you want to eat – add tomato paste mixture to the pot. Stir to combine everything, bring to a simmer, and reduce heat to low.
Cover the pot. Gently simmer, stirring the sauce and turning the meat occasionally, for about 2 hours.
2 hours, 10 minutes before you want to eat – Add the remaining 3 Tb olive oil, some salt, and more water if sauce is becoming too dry. Continue to gently simmer, covered, stirring the sauce and turning the meat occasionally, for another 2 hours or so.
25 minutes before you want to eat – bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook to al dente. Drain.
5 minutes before you want to eat – Transfer meat to a serving platter. Add the pasta to the pot with the sauce. Stir or toss to combine. Serve immediately.