Spezzatino. Just hearing the word brings me back to my childhood, when my mother, grandmother, and aunts made it often. In Italy, it is classic home cooking, with countless variations from one family to the next.
My version is simple: beef, potatoes, onions, bacon, and tomatoes slowly cooked until tender and full of flavor. If you enjoy comforting, slow-cooked beef dishes, you may also love my Pot Roast or Yankee Pot Roast.
Recipe Overview: Spezzatino
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Servings: 4 people
- Cook Method: Oven baked.
- Flavor & Texture: Tender, succulent beef with soft potatoes, sweet onions, smoky bacon, and a rich tomato sauce.
- Difficulty: Easy. Everything is layered in one pan, then the oven does most of the work.
- Why this Recipe? This classic Italian comfort dish is hearty, flavorful, and wonderfully simple to prepare. With just a few ingredients and very little hands-on time, you get tender beef and potatoes surrounded by a rich tomato sauce that tastes as though you spent all day in the kitchen.
The result is wonderfully tender beef nestled among potatoes and tomatoes, all slowly cooked together until rich and full of flavor.
My mom gave me her beautiful set of Enciclopedia della Cucina / Curcio cookbooks, twelve volumes I had been eyeing since I was a teenager. Since she passed them down to me, they have taken center stage on my bookshelf. I still reach for them often, flipping through the pages and finding inspiration.
Those books bring me right back to my years in Paris, when I mostly baked and loved trying the dessert recipes tucked inside. Holding them now feels even more special.
With the recipe in hand, I layered all the ingredients into a large pan and placed it in the oven. For the next hour and a half, the most wonderful aromas filled the kitchen.
By the time dinner was over, there was not a bite left. I was secretly hoping for leftovers for lunch the next day.
Maybe next time.
In this Article
A Note From Giangi
Key Ingredients
Beef chuck – Perfect for slow cooking. As it cooks, the beef becomes wonderfully tender while adding rich flavor to the tomato sauce.
Yellow onion – Thinly sliced onions soften as they cook, adding a gentle sweetness that balances the richness of the beef.
Potatoes – Use a potato that will hold its shape during the long cooking time. The potatoes absorb all those wonderful beef and tomato juices.
Bacon – Adds a savory, slightly smoky richness while its rendered fat blends into the sauce.
San Marzano tomatoes – The heart of the sauce. Their natural sweetness and mild acidity create a simple, flavorful base for this traditional Italian spezzatino.
Olive oil – A small amount coats the bottom of the pan and helps bring all the ingredients together as they cook.
Fresh basil – Adds a fresh Italian aroma and subtle sweetness to the tomato sauce.
Salt and pepper – Keep the seasoning simple so the flavors of the beef, tomatoes, potatoes, and onions can shine.
How to Make Spezzatino
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2: Lightly coat the bottom of a large ovenproof casserole or gratin dish with olive oil. Arrange the sliced onions evenly over the bottom.
Step 3: Place the beef cubes over the onions in an even layer. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 4: Arrange the potatoes over the beef, then scatter the diced bacon evenly over the top.
Step 5: Pour the San Marzano tomatoes over everything and add the fresh basil leaves. Season lightly with salt.
Step 6: Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 1½ hours, or until the beef is tender and the potatoes are cooked through.
Step 7: Check the spezzatino occasionally to make sure there is enough liquid in the pan. If it begins to look dry, add a couple of tablespoons of water or wine.
Step 8: Serve hot, spooning plenty of the rich tomato sauce over the tender beef and potatoes.
Giangi’s Pro Tips
Cut the beef evenly: Keep the beef pieces about the same size so they cook at the same rate and become tender together.
Do not cut the potatoes too small: Larger pieces will hold their shape better during the long cooking time and absorb all those wonderful juices.
Use good-quality tomatoes: San Marzano tomatoes add natural sweetness and create a richer, smoother sauce.
Keep an eye on the liquid: Check the dish while it cooks. If the sauce starts to look dry, add a small amount of water or wine.
Give it time: Spezzatino tastes best when the beef cooks slowly until it is fork-tender. Do not rush this step.
Let it rest before serving: Allow the dish to sit for a few minutes after removing it from the oven. The sauce will settle and become even more flavorful.
Even better the next day: Like most slow-cooked dishes, the flavors deepen overnight, making leftovers absolutely delicious.
What to serve with Spezzatino
Spezzatino is already a wonderfully hearty dish, so I like to keep the sides simple. My Asparagus with Balsamic Vinaigrette is a lovely choice, as the acidity and freshness balance the rich beef and tomato sauce beautifully. For something fresh and colorful, my Spinach Salad with Citrus Dressing adds just the right amount of brightness.
If you want to make the meal even more comforting, serve it with my Parmesan Polenta. The creamy polenta is perfect for catching all those wonderful tomato juices from the spezzatino and makes this Italian dinner even more satisfying
Storage and Reheating
Store: any leftover spezzatino in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. The flavors become even better the next day as the beef and potatoes continue to absorb the rich tomato sauce.
Reheat: Place the spezzatino in a saucepan over medium-low heat and warm gently until heated through. Add a small splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened too much.
You can also reheat it in the oven at 325°F, covered, until warmed through. For a quick option, microwave individual portions in short intervals, stirring between each one.
Freeze: Spezzatino can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Keep in mind that the potatoes may become slightly softer after freezing and reheating.
More Beef Recipes You Will Love
If you tried this Spezzatino of Beef with Potatoes and Onions or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below.
Spezzatino of Beef with Potatoes and Onions
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef chuck, cut into small cubes beef chuck
- 1½ yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced yellow onion
- 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 7 slices bacon, sliced and diced bacon
- 28 ounces San Marzano tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º
- In a large gratin dish or pan, cover the bottom with olive oil. Add one layer of the onion slices. In top of that add the beef cubes, making sure that they are all the same size. Salt and pepper the meat. Another layer of potatoes and cover it all with the bacon. Add the can of tomatoes and the basil leaves. Lightly salt and put in the oven for 1 ½ hour.
- Make sure that during cooking the juices are not drying up to much. If it becomes dry add couple of tablespoons of water to it, or wine.
- Serve in the same dish.
Nutrition
Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.
- Course: Beef, Veal & Lamb, Dinners
- Cuisine: Italian
- Type: Under 45 minutes
Did you make this?
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