Beef and butternut squash stew is one of those recipes that is worth the time investment. Practically every recipe you will find on this site takes 60 minutes or less from start to finish, however I am willing to take the extra time to make this comfort food.
Most of the recipes I post have been adapted to my taste or I’ve created myself, but this stew I follow the directions to a T and I need to give credit where credit is due. It comes from one of my favorite celebrity chefs, Giada de Laurentiis.
Back in the days when I had time to watch television (Oh how long ago that seems!!) I would binge watch Giada at Home and Everyday Italian. I learned so much about how to cook while I was drooling over the delicious foods in her impeccable kitchen. I’ve tried to recreate a lot of her recipes, but this beef and butternut squash stew recipe has stood the test of time and I still make it several times thru the fall and winter. One change that I made was to eliminate the parsley. This herb is not typically in season when I am making the stew and, to be honest, parsley isn’t my favorite flavor.
Do you have a favorite recipe from a celebrity chef? How often do you stick to the recipe?
Giada's Beef and Butternut Squash Stew
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 pounds stew beef cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
- 1 cup Marsala wine
- 1 pound butternut squash peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 3 to 4 cups beef broth
- Crusty bread for serving
Instructions
- In a large soup pot heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onions, garlic, rosemary, and thyme and saute until the onions are tender, about 2 minutes.
- Toss the beef cubes in salt and pepper. Turn up the heat to med-high and add the beef to the pot. Cook until the beef is browned and golden around the edges, about 5 minutes.
- Add the Marsala wine. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir up all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add the butternut squash and sun-dried tomatoes and stir to combine.
- Add enough beef broth to just cover the beef and squash. Bring the stew to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
- Season the stew with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty bread alongside.
Source: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/beef-and-butternut-squash-stew.html
