Argentine Beef and Noodle Stew

Guiso de fideos is a classic pot dish of Argentine cuisine, where beef, potato, squash, and dried noodles are cooked together in a tomato base until it becomes a comforting, hearty meal.

It’s a very accessible recipe, ideal for large families or for storing and reheating the next day, since it often tastes even better.

Argentine Beef and Noodle Stew

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• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 55 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: Argentine

Print Recipe

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Ingredients

• 500 g of beef (shoulder or shank), cubed (about 1.1 lb)
• 1 of onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 of carrot, chopped
• 1 of bell pepper, chopped
• 2 of tomatoes, small-diced
• 2 tablespoons of tomato purée
• 2 of potatoes, cubed
• 300 g of pumpkin or squash, cubed (about 10.5 oz)
• 1 liter of beef or vegetable broth (about 4 cups)
• 250 g of short dried pasta (ditalini or similar) (about 9 oz)
• 1/2 cup of peas (optional)
• to taste of salt, pepper, and oregano
• 3 tablespoons of oil

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Instructions

1. Brown the beef, in a pot with oil, brown the beef cubes on all sides and set aside.
2. Cook the vegetables, in the same pot, cook the garlic, onion, carrot, and bell pepper until translucent.
3. Add the tomato, stir in the diced tomatoes and cook a few more minutes.
4. Add potato and squash, lower the heat to minimum, stir in the potato and squash cubes, and add the reserved beef back in.
5. Add purée and season, stir in the tomato purée and seasonings, letting it deepen in color before continuing.
6. Cover with broth, pour in the broth and cook until the potato is tender but not fully cooked.
7. Add pasta and peas, stir in the pasta and peas, cover, and cook until the pasta is al dente.
8. Serve, once done, serve the stew piping hot.

Tips for getting it right

• Use budget cuts of beef, like shoulder or shank, since the long cooking time tenderizes them perfectly.
• Add the pasta only once the potato is nearly done, so it doesn’t overcook.
• If the stew is too thick the next day, add a bit of hot broth before reheating.
• Serve with warm bread and grated cheese on top to round out the dish.

Traditional variations

• Some families use angel hair pasta instead of short pasta, for a different texture.
• It’s also made without squash, in a simpler version with just potato among the root vegetables.

How to serve

Guiso de fideos is served piping hot as a main dish, perfect for cold days.

It’s a classic of Argentine home cooking, great for sharing with family.

Recommended sides

• Crusty bread
• Grated cheese
• Red wine

Did you know?

Guiso de fideos is one of the most accessible and popular dishes in Argentine home cooking, since it uses budget cuts of beef and yields several servings.

It’s common to make it in large batches to store and reheat the next day, since many say the flavor improves after resting.