Shared by Sara Pavoncello
Shared by Sara Pavoncello
Vitello al Forno
Yield: 8 servingsTime: 2 ½ - 3 hours
Vitello al Forno
Yield: 8 servingsTime: 2 ½ - 3 hoursFamily Journey
Rome, Italy
“Whatever I know about cooking is from watching my grandfather (Attilio) cook,” says Sara Pavoncello, a tour guide in the Roman Jewish ghetto. One of his best recipes was for roasted veal with wine and vegetables, which his wife, Sara’s nonna Speranza, made as well. When Sara’s mother asked her mother-in-law Sperenza for the recipe, Speranza, jealously guarding it, decreased the amount of wine in the recipe to one cup. Sara’s mother prepared the veal for a table of guests, only to have it turn out dry and flavorless. Confused, she went through the recipe out loud with the guests, which included Speranza and her husband, Attilio. When she recounted the amount of wine she used, Attilio said “Just one cup of wine? But it’s 1 liter!” Immediately, everyone understood Speranza’s attempted subterfuge — and had a good laugh. Since then, Sara’s mother makes this veal — with the full amount of wine — for every special occasion.
Read more about Sara’s family in “For Sara Pavoncello, Keeping Roman Jewish Traditions Alive Is an Honor” and try her recipes for pomodori a mezzo, broccoli soup with pasta and anchovy, and baccala with onion and tomato.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 ½-3 lbs. Boneless veal rib roast (vitella carrè)
- 2 ½ lbs. carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
- 2 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 small white onions, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bottle dry white wine
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly drizzle a 9x13-in baking dish with olive oil and add the carrots, cherry tomatoes, onions, and celery stalks. Drizzle with two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper, tossing to combine.
Step 2
Using a sharp fork, prick the surface of the meat all over and season with salt and pepper, rubbing it into the veal. Place the veal in the baking dish over the vegetables. Pour two cups of the wine over the meat and vegetables and cover.
Step 3
Place the covered baking dish in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, basting the veal with sauces every 15 minutes. After 40 minutes, uncover the veal and pour the rest of the wine on the veal and vegetables. Bake for another half hour, uncovered, basting throughout.
Step 4
Turn the veal over. Cook for another 30-45 minutes, until tender and aromatic.
Step 5
Remove the veal roast from the baking dish and set aside; cover. Let the vegetables cook for another 15-20 minutes, until the wine has mostly evaporated. Let the veal cool, then serve with the vegetables.
