Stracotto

Stracotto
(Italian Pot Roast Pasta)

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds beef roast
1 ½ cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup beef broth
1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
½ cup dry red wine
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
1 pound penne pasta

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven and brown the pot roast on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onions, carrots, celery and sliced garlic and sauté until soft. Remove vegetables and set aside. Return the pot roast to the pan (if you have a rack for your pan you can place it under the roast). Pour the stock over the roast and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, cover, for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the roast and the rack from the pan. Cut the meat into ¼-inch slices (they will be very rare) and then return them to the pan, layering them evenly. Crush tomatoes slightly and add them to the pot along with the tomato paste, minced garlic, pepper, salt, thyme, bay leaf, and wine. Add in the reserved vegetables. Bring to a boil and then transfer to the oven. Bake, covered, until the meat falls apart, about 1 ½ hours. When the meat is ready, remove from the oven. Discard the bay leaf. Shred meat with a fork. Add parsley and heat through. Serve stracotto over hot cooked pasta with some grated Parmesan on top