Greek Beef Stew With Macaroni

Preparation : Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large flameproof casserole, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the meat in batches and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Return all the beef to the pan. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and stir up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add all the remaining ingredients except the pasta. Cover the casserole and transfer it to the oven. Bake until the beef is tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours, stirring several times. Add the macaroni and mix lightly. Comments: In many ways, this is similar to the all-American classic beef stew, but only up to that point. Here, sweet spices add a haunting flavour that makes the stew distinctly and deliciously Greek in character.