Pasta Alla Genovese

By Mark Bittman

Updated June 1, 2023

Pasta Alla Genovese
Michael Kraus for The New York Times
Total Time
3½ hours
Rating
5(1,773)
Comments
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To many Neapolitans, the beef sauce La Genovese is at the heart of the city's cooking. Yet it’s little more than onions (lots of them) and beef, simmered until both fall apart.

Boiling the onions before cooking is a variation on traditional technique and could be considered a shortcut; it does save time, though not a whole lot of it. It's easy enough, and more traditional, to slice the onions raw and increase cooking time accordingly.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings
  • 4¼pounds red onions
  • ⅓cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1celery rib, trimmed and roughly chopped
  • ¼pound bacon or pancetta, chopped
  • 2¼pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼cup dry white wine, plus more if desired
  • 1pound dried pasta, like ziti, tortiglioni or rigatoni
  • Finely grated Parmesan cheese
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

628 calories; 22 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 68 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 40 grams protein; 1110 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the onions in the boiling water, and cook, covered, 15 minutes. Drain the onions, and let cool a bit, then slice very thinly.

  2. Step 2

    Heat half the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat; stir in the carrots, celery and bacon, and cook for 4 minutes. Add the beef, then cover with the onions. Pour the remaining oil over the onions, then sprinkle with 1½ teaspoons salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper. Cover, bring to a simmer and cook gently until the beef is tender, about 2 hours; the onions will release a good deal of liquid.

  3. Step 3

    Uncover the pot and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring more frequently as the liquid reduces and lowering the heat as necessary to prevent scorching, until the meat has fallen apart and the sauce is creamy, about 45 minutes. Stir in the wine and taste, adding more wine if desired. Reduce the heat to low, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is glossy and quite thick, about 15 minutes more.

  4. Step 4

    Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, then drain and toss with the sauce. Stir in Parmesan to taste, then serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,773 user ratings
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Comments

von

This recipe doesnt include white wine.... please add it when boiling the meat. And the cuts of beef matter. You should use the rump like in pot roast. I live in naples italy and my italy mom cooks this once a week for me. Ih and if you are gonna boil the onions, do it in wine. It makes all the difference. They should almost be a paste when done. I tried posting before but it didnt post.

Andria

I slice my onions and layer them with salt cover them in water and put a plate over them with something heavy on the plate to keep weight on them pressing them down. I let them sit for about 30 minutes and then rinse them thoroughly before I start the recipe. The salt breaks down the onion some and help to absorb the water. My mother in law taught me how to make this dish over 35 years ago. My husband and his family moved here from Naples when he was 8 years old. It's a family favorite. ♡

Peter

It was fantastic - rich, glossy, almost creamy. Rereading the recipe makes my mouth water. On the topic of the onions - I completely cheated - I sliced and layered them in a pyrex, added a little water, covered them with wet paper towels and steamed them a bit in the microwave. Takes the slime factor out of the equation.

Vid & Lisa

This was deee-lish! Didn’t boil the onions. Paired with a simple Italian salad. Sauvignon blanc. And a very interested Neapolitan-looking cat under our bistro table.

John

Sliced onions in food processor first. Boiled for 15 minutes. Did everything else per recipe. Used red wine instead of white wine. Added red wine 1/4 cup at a time as needed to prevent scorching. Total time was about 3 1/2 hours. Added cooked pasta to pot and approximately 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water to sauce and mixed. Was delicious.

Nona Gabi

This had me channeling my inner Nona. Slow and steady, jammy and brothy, rich and glossy, proud and patient. Quietly soft smiling at the table while those who could join our meal relish in every savory bite. Buon appetito

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