Pastitsada — Corfu beef in a spiced tomato sauce with pasta

Have ready a heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, about 24 cm in diameter and 4–5 l in capacity. Cut the beef into 3–4 cm pieces and pat the surfaces dry. Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Combine the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and pepper in a small bowl. Weigh out the wine, passata, tomato paste and remaining ingredients so everything is within reach.

Heat 30 g olive oil in the pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with the weighed 6 g salt and brown it in two batches, arranging the pieces in a single layer. Do not move them at first, then turn to brown several sides. Allow about 10–12 minutes in total. Transfer each batch to a plate and save all the juices that collect.

Reduce the heat to medium and pour the remaining 10 g olive oil into the same pot. Add the onion and cook for about 7–8 minutes, stirring often and loosening the browned bits of beef from the bottom. The onion should soften and turn lightly golden. Add the garlic for the final 30–40 seconds; do not let it darken and become bitter.

Add all the tomato paste and the prepared ground spice mixture to the onion. Stir over moderate heat for about a minute, working the paste across the bottom of the pot. The paste should darken slightly and blend with the oil as the spices become fragrant. If it starts sticking quickly, lower the heat to prevent scorching.

Pour in all the weighed wine and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen the flavorful bits from the bottom. Cook uncovered for 3–4 minutes to reduce the liquid slightly. Add the passata, all 400 g water and the sugar. Return all the beef and its plate juices to the pot, stir and bring to a gentle simmer. The sauce should surround the pieces of meat.

Cover the pot and lower the heat so the sauce barely bubbles. Braise for about 1 hour 45 minutes–2 hours 15 minutes, gently stirring from the bottom and turning the meat several times. The pieces should yield easily to a fork; if they are still firm, continue braising gently. Once the beef is tender, uncover for the final 5–10 minutes if the sauce is too thin. If it thickens quickly, lower the heat and keep the lid on.

When the beef is tender and the sauce is almost thick enough, bring about 3 l unsalted water to a boil in a second large pot. Add all the dry bucatini, gently easing the strands under the water as they soften. Cook according to the package, usually 9–11 minutes, until firm at the center. Drain without rinsing; do not add olive oil. Discard the cooking water.

Transfer the beef pieces to a warm plate, saving any juices that collect. Add all the drained pasta to the sauce in the pot and turn gently with tongs over low heat for 1–2 minutes, until the strands are thoroughly coated. Pour the plate juices back in. The sauce should cling to the bucatini and settle between them rather than form a watery puddle.

Divide the pasta among four deep plates. Arrange all the beef on top, then spoon over all the sauce left in the pot. Serve immediately while the pasta is hot and pleasantly firm. If saving some for later, transfer it to a shallow container, cool briefly and refrigerate. Eat within 1–2 days, reheating thoroughly until hot all the way through.