Pasta alla Genovese
A classic Neapolitan dish of tubular pasta tossed in a rich, deeply savoury sauce of slow-cooked beef and sweet, meltingly soft onions.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 240 min
- Total
- 265 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 680 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-bottomed casserole or Dutch oven
- •Chef's knife
- •Large pasta pot
- •Colander
- •Wooden spoon
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 680 kcal
- fat
- 21 g
- carbs
- 78 g
- fibre
- 6 g
- protein
- 42 g
- calories
- 680 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Thinly slice the onions and finely dice the carrot and celery.
- 2
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a heavy casserole over medium heat.
- 3
Add the beef pieces and sear until browned on all sides, about eight minutes.
- 4
Stir in the carrot, celery, bay leaf, sliced onions, and a teaspoon of salt.
- 5
Cover tightly with a lid and reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting.
- 6
Cook covered for two hours until the onions release their liquid and soften completely.
- 7
Uncover the pot, pour in the white wine, and stir well to deglaze.
- 8
Simmer uncovered on low for another two hours, stirring occasionally until the sauce turns deep amber.
- 9
Shred the tender beef lightly into the glossy onion sauce with a fork.
- 10
Cook the broken ziti in salted boiling water until al dente, then drain.
- 11
Toss the pasta directly into the hot sauce with the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and black pepper.
Chef's tips
Do not add any stock or water at the start; the massive volume of onions will release plenty of liquid as they sweat down. Keep the heat very low during the first two hours to prevent the onions from catching before they release their juices.
Ingredient substitutions
- ziti pasta → paccheri, rigatoni, or candele snapped by hand
- Parmigiano Reggiano → Pecorino Romano for a sharper, saltier finish
Storage
Keep leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, as the flavour improves over time.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of water, stirring frequently until piping hot.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Rushing the cooking time, which leaves the onions pale and pungent rather than sweet and caramelized.
- •Cooking at too high a heat early on, scorching the base before enough onion moisture is released.
- •Using short machine-cut pasta instead of tubular pasta snapped by hand, which alters the traditional mouthfeel.
Serving suggestions
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