Pasta alla Genovese

two kilos of onions, four hours, no tomato

Prep
30 min
Cook
4h
Total
4h 30m
Serves
6
Difficulty
Medium
Rating
4.8 / 5 (156 ratings)

Two kilos of onions cooked down over three to four hours with a whole piece of beef. No tomato. The onions turn dark and jammy and become the entire sauce. The beef eventually falls apart. This is the pasta for long Sunday lunches. Nobody knows with certainty why it's called Genovese — it has nothing to do with Genoa.

Ingredients

For 6 servings.

For the sauce

  • 800 g beef chuck or muscle, whole piece
  • 2000 g golden onions, thinly sliced
  • 60 ml lard or olive oil
  • 3 stalks celery, sliced
  • 1 medium carrot, sliced
  • 150 ml dry white wine
  • to taste salt and black pepper

To serve

  • 500 g rigatoni, ziti, or candele
  • to finish Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino, grated

Method

  1. 1. Slice the onions

    Peel and thinly slice all the onions. This takes a while. Have a cold damp cloth nearby for your eyes, or chill the onions in the freezer for 20 minutes first.

    Two kilos of sliced onions is an intimidating pile. They'll reduce to about a fifth of that volume by the time they're done.

  2. 2. Brown the meat

    Heat the lard or oil in a large heavy pot over high heat. Brown the beef all over, about 3 minutes per side. Don't rush it. Remove and set aside.

    A good sear gives the sauce colour and depth. If the meat steams instead of browning, the pot isn't hot enough or the beef is wet.

  3. 3. Add the onions

    Reduce to medium heat. Add the celery and carrot to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Add all the onions and a good pinch of salt. Stir to combine, then nestle the browned beef back among the onions. Pour in the wine.

    The salt draws moisture out of the onions and starts the breakdown. Don't hold back on it here.

  4. 4. Long slow cook

    Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 3 to 4 hours, stirring every 20 to 30 minutes. The onions will release a lot of liquid first, then slowly reduce and darken. By the end they should be deep amber, very soft, and almost melted. If they start to catch before they've softened, add a small splash of water.

    The bottom catches easily in the last hour. Stir more frequently then. The sauce should be thick but not dry.

  5. 5. Cook the pasta and serve

    Remove the beef and let it rest. Boil the pasta in well-salted water until al dente. Drain, keeping some pasta water. Dress the pasta with the onion sauce, adding a splash of pasta water if needed. The beef can be served alongside as a second course or shredded back into the sauce.

Nutrition per serving

  • 680 kcal
  • Protein: 38g
  • Carbs: 82g
  • Fat: 16g

A bit of history

Despite the name, pasta alla genovese is entirely Neapolitan. The origins of the name are genuinely disputed. One theory says it was created by Genoese sailors or merchants in Naples in the 15th century. Another says it was named after a Neapolitan cook called Genovese. A third points to a neighbourhood or tavern called La Genovese. None of these is confirmed.

The dish appears in Neapolitan cookbooks from the late 18th century onwards. It's a Sunday dish — slow enough to need a full morning — and the kind of thing made for family gatherings rather than weekday meals. The cut of beef that comes out at the end often gets served separately as a second course, making this effectively a two-course recipe from one pot.