Italian Pot Roast with Onion Sauce
This Neapolitan-style pot roast produces an intense, brown onion gravy that is the true goal of the recipe since the meat gives all its to flavor the sauce. Good enough to spoon from a bowl, it is the ultimate extravagance served on rigatoni.
Ingredients
- 1 (2-pound) piece top round
- 8 large onions, thinly sliced (about 12 cups)
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1/2 rib celery, finely chopped
- 2 Tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tsp rubbed sage
- 1/4 tsp white peppercorns
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta
- grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Place the meat in a large, deep saucepan or a small Dutch oven. Arrange the onions, carrot, and celery over the meat. Add the parsley, sage, and peppercorns. Pour in the wine. Add 8 cups cold water and the salt. Bring the liquid just to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer gently, uncovered, until strands of meat pull away when lifted with a fork, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. As the liquid evaporates, turn the meat every 20 minutes so it cooks evenly. Remove the meat and set it aside. Mix the tomato paste into the sauce that remains in the pot. (You will have about 4 cups of sauce.)
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Divide it among 8 wide shallow bowls. Reheat the sauce if necessary and ladle it over the pasta. Serve accompanied by grated Parmesan cheese. Serve the pot roast, very thinly sliced, on the side.
Copyright © 2005 by Dana Jacobi
Nutrition Facts
Calories 480
Calories from Fat 84 (18%)
(14%)Total Fat 9g
(18%)Saturated Fat 4g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
(15%)Cholesterol 45mg
(16%)Sodium 384mg
(20%)Potassium 691mg
Total Carbohydrate 58g
(18%)Dietary Fiber 5g
Sugars 7g
Sugar Alcohols 0g
(67%)Protein 34g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Nutrition facts are calculated by a food expert using nutritional values provided by the USDA for common products used as recipe ingredients. Actual nutritional values may differ depending on the amounts or products used and can be affected by cooking methods.
Copyright © 2025 TraceGains, Inc. All rights reserved.
Read our healthy recipe definitions.
Learn more about TraceGains, the company.
The information presented here is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2025.