Roasted Beef with Ziti by Coleen

By DomesticMuse

Coleen says: This recipe is true comfort food. It is rich, filling, economical, extremely flavorful and it reheats well. I make it with trimmed pieces of chuck steak which become "fall apart" tender in the oven.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds trimmed chuck steak
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 6 ounce can of tomato paste
• 4 cups beef broth (not bullion cubes)
• 1/2 cup sauteed onion
• 2 teaspoons dry basil
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano
• ½ teaspoon fennel seed (do not leave out)
• pinch of dry red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of white sugar (do not leave out)
• 3 cups uncooked ziti pasta
• Cheese optional

Preparation

Step 1

Trim as much fat from the chuck steak as you can and brown it well in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Place the browned meat in a large oven proof pan that has a lid (or you can use foil). Mix the tomato paste, beef broth and seasonings together (I heat it a little so the tomato paste completely mixes with the broth) and pour over the meat.

Put the lid on the pan or seal it TIGHTLY with foil, and bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove the lid, and stir in 3 cups of UNcooked pasta. Make sure the pasta is covered with sauce. Put the lid back on (or seal tightly with foil) and turn the oven up to 325 and bake for 30 more minutes.

NOTE: You can use any short, tube shaped noodle, but the ziti works the best.
NOTE: If you use ground beef, brown it (and drain it) well before baking.
NOTE: You can add fresh mushrooms to this dish at the same time you stir in the pasta.
NOTE: The low oven temperature of 300 degrees, is important.
NOTE: If you want to add cheese to this dish, I suggest mozzarella or Monterrey Jack cheese and add it AFTER everything is fully cooked.