While I was eating my squash chili mole I was thinking about what else I could use squash in and I eventually arrived at a beef stew. I had recently made a Japanese style beef stew (nikujaga) using pumpkin so I wanted something a little bit different. I was thinking that an Italian style beef stew would be nice. The first thing I did of course was search the web for recipes and came across this one for a beef and butternut squash stew that sounded like a nice place to start. I felt that an Italian style beef stew would have to contain more tomatoes but I wanted there to be more of a broth than a sauce so I used diced tomatoes with red wine and beef broth to form the base of the stew. To add some more flavour I added some pancetta and browned the beef and sauteed the onions in the pancetta grease instead of olive oil. I like to save the rinds from parmigiano reggiano to throw into sauces to add flavour while simmering and I thought it would work in a broth as well. I wanted to braise the beef until it was nice and tender and since I did not want my squash to be mush I held off on adding it until the meat was almost fully cooked. The Italian style beef stew was a great success! The beef was fall apart in your mouth tender and the squash was nice and al dente; cooked and tender but still having a firm texture. The broth was super flavourful and I did not let any of it go to waste by sopping it up with some cheesy garlic bread .
Italian Style Beef Stew with Butternut Squash
ingredients
- 2 ounces pancetta (diced)
- 1 pound beef (cut into 1 inch cubes)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, to taste)
- 1 tablespoon rosemary (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon thyme (chopped)
- 1 cup Italian red wine
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 splash balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- * parmigiano reggiano rind (optional)
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound butternut squash (peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes)
- * parsley (chopped)
directions
- Cook the pancetta in a large pan on medium heat.
- Add the beef and brown on all sides in the grease from the pancetta and set aside.
- Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the wine and deglaze the pan.
- Add the beef, broth, balsamic vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, parmigiano reggiano rind, oregano, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the beef is nice and tender, about 1-2 hours.
- Add the squash and simmer until it is tender, about 15-20 minutes.
I would kill for a bowl for your beef stew right now. I’m freezing and it looks amazing!
Your stew looks so hearty and scrumptious. I would love a big bowl of it to keep me warm.
hi kevin, you did it again… everything looks so great… the dinner roll, the chicken soup’s so comforting, and the stew, my, just perfect… you are really something… i envy whoever enjoys these meals with you… 🙂
That looks like comfort in a bowl Kevin!
Hi Kevin
Thanks
Presentation of beef stew with garlic bread’s nice with an amazing photo.
Cheers
This is one nice looking stew! I often put sweet potato chunks in mine shortly before it’s finished cooking, but have never tried butternut squash.
Oh wow! This is a fantastic picture!!!!!
Peter, this looks really good. Great idea to use squash in the stew. Comfort in a bowl.
Sounds delicious, so hearty and warm, plus a nice side of garlicky bread. Yummy
What a heart-warming dish Kevin!
That looks fantastic. Great idea with the squash!
Very tasty and creative recipe Kevin. I love how hearty it is.
You are really filling up on your yellow veggies, very healthy Kevin! I love the Japanese twist!
That stew looks incredibly yummy!
Cheers,
Rosa
Yum… The stew looks so hearty and flavorful! You’ve gotten really good mileage out of those cucurbits! 🙂
oh look at the color of that stew! i love this – hearty and good!
Sounds awesome Kevin!
The bowl of stew looks so inviting . I am sure if one eats it, we will have a really good feeling as it looks so hearty.
That sauce looks so delicious rich and deeply flavoured. Gorgeous stuff Kevin!
That looks really yummy, great for a cold winter day!
What a great idea of using butternut squash! i’ll definitely try this recipe!
You have some great flavours going on there!
I am looking at my counter that has 3 different kinds of squash on it and I am thinking “this is all Kevin’s fault!”
Now this is one big pot-o-love! Loved the chicken noddle soup recipe too. IT is that time of year to break out the soup pot!
love your additions to the soup 🙂
Your recipes are always so interesting. This one looks great!
Nice Italian touches – looks like the meat is cooked perfectly!
yum this looks like a great winter recipe!
Perfect for a cold day!
that looks amazing Kevin. I may have found my weekend project.
Kevin do you have a pumpkin & butternut squash garden? LOL
Another fine creation here. I love that pancetta is in here too.
This looks unbelievably comforting! I think I’ll make it this weekend to eat all next week. Just beautiful Kevin!
You can just see how rich and flavorful that broth is!
Oh Yum! Both this stew and your previous post of Chicken Soup are killer! This stew looks very hearty and sounds quite flavorful with the pancetta and balsamic vinegar! That cheesy garlic bread is terrific, too!
Gorgeous bowl of stew!
You do like your stews don’t you. Try Mafe some time (recipe on my blog).
We have snow coming in this weekend, so I’m betting this would be perfect for a snowy winter’s night!!
Wow..the stew looks really delicious! I may try this with potatoes though.
Kevin, I was just wondering what to make for dinner and I think this is gonna be it! Thanks for the recipe, it sounds delicious! 🙂
This stew taste as delicious as it looks! Just a hint of spice from red pepper flakes, and the wine and balsamic vinegar gave it a unique flare! It was perfect for a cold December evening! I will definitely make again!!!
I made this dish last night…WOW! I added a couple of things, 1 more cup of wine and whole mushrooms with the squash…it was scrumpdillious! Thanks!
I made this dish last night..it was great…I added 1 more cup of wine and whole mushrooms with the squash…scrumpdillious!
The stew was very good and I would make it again except everyone agreed that the amount of rosemary was excessive. But that down to about a teaspoon and this is a winner. The squash was a great counterpoint.
I loved this stew and the way all the flavors came together. Delicious. I did add some cubed potatoes in the stew which I thought fit perfectly with the stew.
Question for you Kevin: by any chance do you know of a substitution for the pancetta? Thanks!
Heather: Bacon can be used as a substitute for the pancetta. Enjoy!
Kevin, should the diced tomatoes be drained or undrained? Thanks!
Rachel: The diced tomatoes should be undrained. Enjoy!