Entree: Uruguay – Pasta con Tuco (Pasta with meat sauce)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 1 hr 50 min

Total 2 hrs 10 min

Ingredients

- 12 oz (340 g) dried pasta (tallarines, fettuccine, or pappardelle)
- 1 lb (454 g) beef chuck, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup / 150 g)
- 1 medium carrot, finely diced (about 3 oz / 85 g)
- 1 rib celery, finely diced (about 1 oz / 30 g)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry red wine
- 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste
- 1 cup (240 ml) beef stock or water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano
- 1 tsp (4 g) sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup (25 g) grated Parmesan or regional hard cheese, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season beef cubes with salt and pepper and brown in batches until deeply caramelized on all sides, about 4–5 minutes per batch. Remove browned beef and set aside.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil to the pot. Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 6–8 minutes.
3. Add minced garlic and tomato paste; cook, stirring, 1–2 minutes until fragrant and the paste darkens slightly.
4. Deglaze the pot with the red wine, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Allow wine to reduce by about half, 2–3 minutes.
5. Return the browned beef to the pot. Add crushed tomatoes, beef stock, bay leaf, oregano, and sugar if using. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 1½–2 hours until beef is very tender and the sauce is rich and concentrated. Stir occasionally and break larger pieces of meat into the sauce with a spoon as they soften.
6. When the sauce is nearly done, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup (120 ml) pasta cooking water, then drain pasta.
7. Remove bay leaf from the tuco. If desired, shred any remaining beef pieces in the sauce and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
8. Toss the drained pasta with the tuco, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen and coat the noodles. Serve topped with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan.