Here's a recipe handed down from my great-grandmother, who in the latter half of the 19th century came to America from the Basque country (western Pyrenees region in France). It is simple fare—easy enough for any cook to make as the ingredients are familiar and the procedure non-intimidating. Plus, it all cooks in ONE pot for easy clean-up. My mother (who is not Basque) learned to make it from her Basque mother-in-law. Beef Chuck roast (6-8lbs), trimmed 1 large yellow onion, chopped coarsely 1 large bell pepper, chopped coarsely 4 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely 2 small ripe tomatoes (optional),chopped coarsely 4-6 cups beef stock/broth 2 bay leafs 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped kosher salt black pepper 160z pkg spaghetti (dry) Olive oil Pre-heat oven to 325°F. Heat cast iron dutch over medium high to high heat. Season beef liberally with salt and pepper. Add 1 Tbl of oil to hot pan and sear beef roast on both sides (3-5 minutes). Remove beef from pan and reduce heat. Add 1tbl oil to pan and add chopped onion. Cook onions until softened and golden. Add bell pepper, garlic and tomatoes (if using) to pan. Cook down 3-5 minutes. Add beef roast back into pan. Pour in enough beef broth to cover roast. Add chopped parsley and bay leaves to pot. Bring pot to boil. Cover and place into pre-heated oven. Roast in over for 3-4 hours until meat is tender and '...begins to fall apart when lifted with a large fork.' Remove roast from pan and place it on a plate. Cover with tented foil. The PASTA: Blot and remove any extra fat from the surface of the broth. Bring the dutch over to a low boil on the stove top. Break 16oz of dry spaghetti in half (lengthwise) and carefully add it to the boiling stock. **This is not a typical process as it uses considerably less liquid than a typical pasta boil. This process requires lower heat and constant stirring for all the liquid to be absorbed into the pasta. Stir pasta uncovered for 10-12 minutes over medium heat until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat. The spaghetti will take on a golden brown hue and be quite rich! ***Some additional notes: cooking spaghetti in this fashion does require a slightly longer cook time than what the box says (which is usually '8-10' minutes). More broth can be added if the pasta absorbs it all and is still not tender. Before adding pasta, taste broth for seasoning (i.e. SALT!). If using canned broth or bouillon cubes, you probably won't need to add salt. Slice beef and serve with pasta, salad and a nice fruity red wine!
I am thinking the oven part could be done in a slow cooker... May give it a try this way. It sounds delicious...
Only challenge is transferring the beef & vege broth to a pot in order to make the pasta. Still easy-peasy.
You're welcome! I usually make it in an old covered cast iron pot that actually belonged to great-grandmother! I wonder home any times the old pot was used? It has to be well over 100 years old as my dad (who is 87) remembers his grandma using it when he was a boy.... It looks similar to this pot:
I think this sounds phenomenal. My wife on the other hand does not like to stray from what she is used to. I'll have to figure a way to double the broth so she can have her brown gravy and potatoes