I’ve been travelling all over Spain, Portugal and Morocco these last 2 months (psst... stay tuned for more on that) and now that I’m back in Sicily, you’d better believe that the first meal I was dying to make was Ossobuco in Umido! Its one of my all time favourite Italian classic comfort foods and it makes me all kinds of happy! If you haven’t heard of Ossobuco before, its basically the richest and most decadent of all meat stews you'll ever taste, served over pasta, mashed potatoes or polenta.

Yes, the Italians know a thing or two about slow cooking meat to perfection, and the good news is they make it so incredibly easy, its pretty much a foolproof recipe. Aaaand the even better news is that regardless where you're reading this from, theres a good chance you'll be able to easily & cheaply find all the ingredients to make it!!! Here's what you'll need....
Ossobuco in Umido
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1h30 min
Serves: 2-3
INGREDIENTS
2 small carrots
2 celeri stalks
1 medium onion
4-5 garlic cloves
5 slices pancetta
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 veal or pork ossibuchi (cut shanks)
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/4 cup EVOO
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup water
2 tsp salt
1 bunch of parsley or celery greens
INSTRUCTIONS
Start by cleaning and finely chopping the carrot, celery and onion. Heat a deep dish pan to medium high heat and generously drizzle with EVOO ( about 3 tbsp) add the chopped veggies and sauté until tender.
Next, mince the garlic and loosely chop the pancetta. Add to the pan and let sauté until the pancetta starts to crisp & brown. Add the tomato paste and stir until combined. Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside for later. Turn off the heat and let the pan rest.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, paprika and a rich of salt. Roll each piece of shank in the mixture. Add the pan back to medium high heat and drizzle with more EVOO. Add the floured shanks and brown on both sides. Once browned, add the veggie mixture, wine and water. Cover the pan and let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce becomes too thick, simply add a bit more water and continue to let simmer another 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and add chopped parsley before serving over linguini, mashed potatoes or polenta.
Note: if you prefer not to use wine, simply substitute the wine and water for beef or vegetable broth.
Sending you loads of happy from Sicily! And please leave me a comment to let me know if you enjoyed the recipe :)
xo
