Osso Buco with Pumpkin and Basil Pesto
Osso Buco means “bone with a hole’ and is made with veal shanks. A wonderfully flavourful dish, our recipe creates meltingly tender meat that will fall away from the bone easily. A dollop of Basil Pesto adds a lovely freshness to the dish.
How long will it take?
2 ½ hours
What’s the serving size?
Serves 4
What do I need?
- 4 large pieces osso buco (approx. 1.5kg)
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small brown onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup beef stock, plus extra
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 cups pumpkin, peeled and cut into 3cm cubes
- Salt and pepper
For the Basil Pesto
- 2 cups basil leaves, plus extra for garnish
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 40g parmesan, finely grated
How do I make it?
- Preheat oven to 180C.
- Combine flour on a plate with a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
- Brush osso buco with olive oil and place in flour, turning to roughly cover both sides.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and brown osso buco in batches. Remove and place in a large casserole dish.
- Reduce heat and add onion and garlic to the frying pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add beef stock and wine and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Pour contents of frying pan over the osso buco in the casserole dish. Cover and simmer for 1 hour before adding the pumpkin pieces. Continue cooking, checking every 20 minutes to ensure there is enough liquid to keep ingredients just covered. If necessary, add extra beef stock. Cook for a further 60 minutes or until the osso buco is very tender. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
- Make the pesto by blitzing all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
- Serve osso buco and pumpkin with a generous serving of basil pesto and fresh basil to garnish.
