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Meat, South and mountains

Corsican style veal with olives and pasta

Corsican style veal with olives is a veal stew simmered with tomato, white wine, and green olives, served over pasta. Made for 4 people, it takes 1 hour 40 minutes and is rated easy, at about €4.20 per person. The trick is a very gentle simmer and adding the olives only toward the end so they stay firm.

A veal stew simmered in tomato, white wine and olives, the way it's done in Corsica, served with pasta for the sauce.

Corsican style veal with olives and pasta
Total time
1 h 40
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€4.20
Calories per person
740 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

This dish tastes like tomato that's simmered for a long time with white wine, with green olives bringing a sharp, salty bite you can't miss. The veal cooks low and slow until it's tender but still holds together, and the thick sauce clings perfectly to the pasta served alongside. It's a generous dish with no fussy technique, smelling like real southern French cooking.

This is the kind of recipe to start on a Sunday, when you have time to let it simmer without watching the clock. Mon Chou likes it for family dinners, kids included, since the veal stays mild and the olive sauce works even with simpler palates. It also holds up well for guests, with no last minute stress.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Veal stew meat 900 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onions 2
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Thyme 3 sprigs

Pantry

  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Dry white wineoften in the pantry 20 cl
  • Green olivesoften in the pantry 120 g
  • Pastaoften in the pantry 350 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Brown the veal in a Dutch oven with the oil, then set it aside. 10 min

    Brown the meat in two batches, if it's too crowded it steams instead of browning.

  2. Cook the onions and garlic, then deglaze with the white wine. 5 min

    Let the wine cook off well, it shouldn't taste sharp anymore.

  3. Put the veal back in, add the tomatoes, thyme, salt and pepper, cover and let simmer. 50 min

    Keep it at a very gentle simmer, the veal stays tender and won't fall apart.

  4. Add the olives for the last 20 minutes. 20 min

    Green olives added late keep their firmness.

  5. Cook the pasta and serve it with the veal and its sauce. 10 min

    Save a bit of pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick whole pitted green olives rather than sliced ones, they hold their shape better during cooking and keep more bite.
  • If the sauce looks too thin at the end of simmering, remove the lid for the last 10 minutes so it reduces down.
  • Make this dish the day before if you can, the sauce tastes even better once it cools and gets reheated.

The variations

  • Swap the veal for chicken pieces, the simmering time will then be shorter, about 30 minutes.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the veal with mushrooms and chickpeas, simmered the same way.
  • For kids in a hurry, serve the sauce with fewer olives and small pasta shapes like elbow macaroni, easier to eat.

What to serve it with

  • A glass of dry white wine
  • A green salad with lemon
  • Bread for the sauce

Storage

This veal with olives keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, pasta stored separately if possible. It freezes well for up to 2 months, without the pasta. Reheat it gently in a saucepan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

Questions about this dish

Can you replace the white wine with something else?

Yes, use chicken broth with a splash of white vinegar to keep some acidity. The flavor will be slightly less distinct, but the dish still works well.

What kind of olives work best for this recipe?

Whole, fairly firm green olives, pitted to make eating easier. Avoid olives already marinated with lots of herbs, since they'd change the sauce's flavor too much.

Can you make this dish ahead of time?

Yes, it's actually recommended. Make the veal and sauce the day before, keep it in the fridge, and reheat it gently before cooking the pasta fresh.

Why add the olives only near the end of cooking?

Added too early, olives turn soft and lose their bite after a long simmer. Adding them for the last 20 minutes keeps them firm with a clean, bright flavor.

How long does it take to make a Corsican style veal with olives and pasta?

Count 1 h 40 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a Corsican style veal with olives and pasta?

About 740 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Corsican style veal with olives and pasta cost?

About €4.20 per serving, or €16.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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