Lunch: Italian Roast Beef

Ingredients

1 (4 1/2 to 5 pound) rump roast, trimmed and tied
1 head garlic, cloves peeled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium onions, red or yellow, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges
2 fresh bay leaves
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thick pieces on an angle
4 ribs celery from the heart with leafy tops, cut into thick pieces
4 sprigs rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock-in-a-box
1 pound egg pasta such as tagliatelle
8 tablespoons butter
4 sprigs sage, leaves only

Instructions

Poke holes all over the roast. Slice 4 large cloves of garlic. Stick the garlic into the holes. Liberally season the meat all over with salt and black pepper, to taste. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil, 4 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. When the oil smokes, add the meat and brown on all sides. Remove the meat to a plate. Crush the remaining garlic and add it to the pot along with the onions, bay leaves, carrots, celery and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover the pot with a lid and sweat the vegetables for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomato paste and wine, and let reduce for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the stock-in-a-box. Return the meat to the pot and cover with a lid. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 2 1/2 hours.
When meat is about done, bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat for the pasta.
Remove the meat to a cutting board and cool 15 minutes. Slice the roast and arrange half of the meat on a platter.
Cook the pasta to al dente while the meat is resting. Drain the pasta and add it to a serving bowl. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and arrange them alongside the meat. Spoon a few juices over the top. Melt the butter in small pan over low heat and add the sage leaves. Add the sage butter to the bowl with the pasta and toss together. Season with salt. Ladle the remainder of the juices over the pasta. Serve the meat and veggies with pasta alongside. Cool and store the remainder of the meat in the refrigerator.