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Beef pastitsada from Corfu served with linguine and tomato wedges.
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Beef Pastitsada Stew Recipe with Pasta

This delicious pastitsada recipe hails from the Greek island of Corfu, and it features a rich beef and tomato stew flavoured with cinnamon, allspice and cloves before being served over pasta. It sounds strange, but I promise, it is a real gem of a recipe!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Anglo Greek
Keyword beef pastitsada, greek pastitsada, pastitsada, pastitsada corfu
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings 2 Servings
Calories 1059kcal
Author Brian Jones

Ingredients

  • 350-400 g Stewing Beef 12-14oz (1-1½cm or ½-¾" Dice)
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 1 tablespoon Flour
  • 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 Medium Onion 150g
  • 2 Cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon Ground Allspice
  • ½ teaspoon Sugar
  • ½ teaspoon Dried Chilli Flakes Optional
  • 175 ml Red Wine ¾ Cup
  • 175 ml Beef Stock ¾ Cup
  • 200 g Tomato Passata ¾-1 Cup
  • 1-2 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar

For the Pasta:

  • 175-200 g Dried Pasta 6-7oz I like to use linguine
  • Salt to Season the Pasta Water
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • Fresh Parmesan to Finish

Instructions

  • Cut the onion in half, peel it and then cut it into a 5mm (¼") dice.
  • Heat a 20cm or 8" heavy-based saucepan over a medium-high heat and add the olive oil.
  • Season the beef with the salt, then dredge it in the flour, and brown it in the olive oil. The aim is not to get too many crispy bits on the beef but build up a nice deep golden fond on the base of the pan, so don't go too hot. It is best to do this in 2-3 batches. Then, remove and set aside.
    Beef Pastitsada process shot 1 of 8
  • Reduce the heat under the pan to medium and add the onions and cloves, cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring regularly. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the pan to start to remove any fond as the onions release their liquid.
    Beef Pastitsada process shot 2 of 8
  • Return the beef to the pan, add the allspice, cinnamon, chilli flakes and sugar, stir to combine.
    Beef Pastitsada process shot 3 of 8
  • Pour in the red wine. Turn the heat to high and reduce the wine by half to two-thirds. Again, scrape away at the bottom of the pan to get the rest of the delicious fond into the sauce.
    Beef Pastitsada process shot 4 of 8
  • Reduce the heat to medium, pour in the beef stock and the tomato passata, stir and cook for 90 minutes to 2 hours. You want the sauce to reduce to a thick coating for the beef. If the sauce reduces too far, add a splash of water and reduce the heat a little.
    Beef Pastitsada process shot 5 of 8
  • Taste the sauce as it cooks, and add more salt if required.
  • About 15 minutes before you are ready to serve, bring a 20cm or 8" pan of well-salted water to a boil (I use 1½ teaspoons of salt in a pan this size), and cook the pasta until al dente.
    Beef Pastitsada process shot 6 of 8
  • As soon as you put the pasta in the water, stir the red wine vinegar through the beef stew, starting with one tablespoon and add more if you feel it needs it.
    Beef Pastitsada process shot 7 of 8
  • Drain the pasta, toss it in the olive oil and serve a big spoonful of the beef on top and top with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.
    Beef Pastitsada process shot 8 of 8

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 1059kcal | Carbohydrates: 99g | Protein: 63g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 289g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 1623mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g
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