Italian · Authentic-ish Italian
Spezzatino di Manzo
400 kcal a serving, against 647 for the traditional version. That is 247 kcal off, or 38%, with 43.1g of protein. Serves 6. 90 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Fatty cubes of beef chuck and diced pancetta, browned hard in generous glugs of olive oil. Braised for hours with root vegetables, red wine and tomatoes. It's usually finished with chunks of potato that soak up the beef fat and turn into little flavour bombs.
What changed, and what each change costs
1000g of 15% fat beef mince and 100g of pancetta down to 1000g of 5% fat beef mince
I'm treating the 15% mince as a stand-in for the traditional fatty chuck. Dropping the pancetta and switching to lean meat strips away an enormous amount of fat from the pot.
What it costs you. You lose the chew of whole meat chunks and that distinct cured pork background note. The texture is entirely different, and you can't fake the mouthfeel of slow-cooked collagen.
60g of olive oil down to 15g
You only need a fraction of the oil to get the onions, celery and carrots softening. The tomatoes and wine provide all the moisture you need later on.
What it costs you. Lean mince cooked in very little oil tends to sweat rather than fry. You have to cook it patiently and accept it won't get that deeply crusty brown exterior you'd get from a fierce fry in 100ml of oil.
600g of potatoes for 400g of tinned cannellini beans
Potatoes are brilliant for soaking up sauce, but beans do the exact same job while dragging a lot of extra protein into the bowl.
What it costs you. Call it a meat and bean stew rather than a meat and potato stew anymore and you'll be about right. The beans add a creamy texture that some traditionalists might hate, and they don't break down at the edges quite like a good potato does.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 647 | 400 |
| Protein | 37.8g | 43.1g |
| Fat | 39.3g | 12.2g |
| Saturated fat | 12.3g | 4.2g |
| Carbohydrate | 28.9g | 24.2g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 5.8g | 10.8g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Italian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. celery, sulphites.
The method is in the book
A proper Italian stew reworked for a frantic weeknight. You lose the traditional beef chunks, but gain a thick, comforting bowl that hits heavy on protein and light on fat. The beans make it incredibly filling, and the red wine keeps it tasting like a traditional kitchen.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Italian, along with 59 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.