pat's Recipe

Italian Pot Roast with Penne

Category: Crockpot Roasts

1 2 1/2-pound boneless beef chuck pot roast
1 teaspoon fennel seed, toasted and crushed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored, and cut into thin wedges
3 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and bias-sliced in 2-inch lengths (1 1/2 cups)
1 large onion, cut into thin wedges (1 cup)
1 26-ounce jar light tomato basil pasta sauce
6 ounces dried penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

directions

1. Trim fat from roast. In a small bowl, combine fennel seed, garlic powder, and pepper; rub into roast on all sides. In a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker, combine fennel, carrot, and onion. Place roast on top, cutting roast to fit, if necessary. Pour pasta sauce over roast in cooker.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 9 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 1/2 to 5 hours. Remove roast from cooker and cut into serving size pieces. Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon and serve along side the roast. Remove sauce mixture and skim off any fat; set aside.

3. Toss hot cooked pasta with parsley. Serve roast, vegetable mixture and skimmed sauce with pasta mixture.