Spezzatino di Manzo (Italian Beef Stew)
, Updated Sep 17, 2025
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Spezzatino di Manzo is a delicious Italian beef stew that’s packed with vegetables and tender beef in a rich red wine gravy. Serve over polenta for a warming comforting meal the whole family will love!
Comfort food is my kind of food. Much as I love summertime, I am always thrilled when the weather gets colder and nights start drawing in. It’s the homebody in me – give me a cozy meal and a glass of wine and afterwards let me bask in front of the fire surrounded by dogs.
A rich beef stew is perfect for the chilly nights ahead and I wanted to try something a little different – Spezzatino di Manzo sounds a lot more delicious than plain ol’ “beef stew”, don’t you think?
This Italian beef stew needs a little bit of time to prepare, but you can also make it in a slow cooker if time is not on your side. The base of the stew is soffrito – the holy trinity of diced onion, celery and carrots – which is the backbone of many Italian recipes.
In some versions the soffrito is prepared first and the meat is added afterwards which basically skips the usual step of searing the beef first. I will leave this up to you – if you are in a hurry you can skip the browning. But you must give the vegetables time to soften over gentle heat – that part is non negotiable!
The rest is really up to your oven or slow cooker – just let everything simmer until the beef is melt-in-your-mouth tender and the gravy is rich and delicious.
Italian Beef Stew Ingredients
I have been using this shallow Dutch oven casserole for a lot of my recipes lately. It’s fabulous for all kinds of stews and casseroles.
- Chuck steak (braising steak) – economical cuts of beef that require slow cooking are perfect for stews.
- Pancetta – or you can use bacon.
- Finely diced onion, celery and carrots for the soffrito base.
- Garlic cloves
- Crimini mushrooms (baby chestnut mushrooms in the UK) – you can leave these out if you are not a fan.
- Red wine (such as Chianti or Primitivo) and beef broth
- Tomato paste
- Balsamic vinegar – a secret weapon for adding flavor to stews.
- Rosemary and bay leaves
- You will also need olive oil, salt, pepper and pinch brown sugar.
How to make Italian Beef Stew
- Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). Heat the olive oil in a large casserole and sear the beef over high heat, in batches, until browned. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Add the diced pancetta and cook, stirring, until it starts to crisp up. Transfer to the bowl with beef.
- Add a splash of red wine to the pan, scrape any browned bits loose and let it cook down. Reduce the heat, add a little olive oil and the onion, celery and carrots. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the sugar. Sauté over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are very soft.
- Stir in the mushrooms and garlic and cook for a minute or so. Add the wine and balsamic vinegar and stir in the tomato paste.
- Pour in the beef broth and bring to a simmer. Return the beef and pancetta plus any juices to the pan and stir everything together. Add the rosemary and bay leaf, cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and transfer to the oven for 90 minutes.
- Check the stew at this point – is the beef very tender? If yes, take out of the oven. If not, continue to cook for a further 30 minutes.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in a little cold water and add to the stew. Bring to a simmer and stir until the stew thickens. Discard the bay leaf and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed.
Slow Cooker Italian Beef Stew
You can skip browning the beef and pancetta for this Crock Pot version if you like. Prepare the soffrito by cooking the onion, celery and carrots in a pan for 10 minutes until they are very soft. You can also do this in a slow cooker if it has a browning function (like my GreenPan Slow Cooker). Stir in the mushrooms, garlic, red wine, balsamic vinegar and tomato paste.
Transfer everything to the slow cooker and add the beef, pancetta, 1 cup (250ml) of broth and herbs. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 6. Stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken, if required.
Serving Suggestions
This delicious beef stew is amazing served over buttery soft polenta (spezzatino di manzo con polenta), mashed potatoes or even pasta. A glass of Italian red wine is a must (you will have plenty left in the bottle) and how about some focaccia or garlic bread to mop up all the delicious gravy?
Storing and freezing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can also freeze the stew for up to three months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat in a saucepan before serving.
You will also enjoy
- French Onion Beef Stew
- Best Turkey Bolognese Recipe
- Crock Pot Carne Guisada (Mexican Beef Stew)
- Slow Cooker Beef and Ale Stew
- Dutch Oven Pot Roast Beef With French Onion Gravy
HAVE YOU MADE MY ITALIAN BEEF STEW RECIPE? Please leave a rating, sounds off in the comments, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Spezzatino di Manzo (Italian beef stew)
Video
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil , or as needed
- 2 lbs (900g) chuck steak, cubed
- 3 ½ oz (100g) pancetta , roughly chopped
- 1 large onion , finely diced
- 2 carrots , finely diced
- 2 celery stalks , finely diced
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp brown sugar (optional)
- 7 oz (200g) crimini mushrooms , halved (chestnut mushrooms)
- 4 garlic cloves , sliced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup (80ml) red wine
- 2 ½ cups (620ml) beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 2 tsp cornstarch (cornflour)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). Heat the olive oil in a large casserole and sear the beef over high heat, in batches, until browned. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.3 tbsp olive oil, 2 lbs (900g) chuck steak, cubed
- Add the diced pancetta and cook, stirring, until it starts to crisp up. Transfer to the bowl with beef.3 ½ oz (100g) pancetta
- Add a splash of red wine to the pan and let it cook down. Reduce the heat, add a little olive oil and the onion, celery and carrots. Season with the salt and pepper and sprinkle with the sugar.1 large onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 2 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp black pepper, ⅓ cup (80ml) red wine, 1 tsp brown sugar
- Sauté over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are very soft. You can add a splash of broth or wine to the pan, as needed, while the soffrito is cooking.
- Stir in the mushrooms and garlic and cook for a minute or so. Add the wine and balsamic vinegar and stir in the tomato paste.7 oz (200g) crimini mushrooms, 4 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Pour in the beef broth and bring to a simmer. Return the beef and pancetta plus any juices to the pan and stir everything together. Add the rosemary and bay leaf, cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and transfer to the oven for 90 minutes.2 ½ cups (620ml) beef broth, 1 bay leaf, 1 rosemary sprig
- Check the stew at this point – is the beef very tender? If yes then take out of the oven. If not, continue to cook for a further 30 minutes.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in a little cold water and add to the stew. Bring to a simmer and stir until the stew thickens.2 tsp cornstarch
- Discard the bay leaf and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed. Serve over buttery soft polenta , mashed potatoes or pasta.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Made us tonight or rather come over the weekend. It was delicious. I sautéed my mushrooms in butter before I added them and added them toward the end. Delicious!
This was so delicious! My husband even loved it (but he’s not the fan of polenta that I am 🤣) Worth the dicing and browning time. This will be a go-to for the future.
Thank you for the lovely comment Sue, very glad you enjoyed this recipe! ❤️