Pasta alla Genovese (Pasta with Neapolitan Beef and Onion Ragu)

A bowl of Pasta alla Genovese on top of a blue gingham kitchen towel.

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Pasta alla Genovese (Pasta with Neapolitan Beef and Onion Ragu)

Pasta alla Genovese boasts big flavors with a small number of ingredients. It features a hearty sauce or sugo of sweet slow-cooked onions and tender, shredded beef. This is a meat sauce like none other!

Prep Time30

Cook Time3 30

Total Time4

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 725kcal

Author: Victoria

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds (680 grams) beef chuck stew meat or boneless beef chuck roast cut into 2-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces (113 grams) pancetta diced
1 large carrot or 2 small carrots peeled and finely diced
1 large or 2 small stalks celery finely diced
½ cup dry white wine
3 pounds (1.4 kg) onions peeled and thinly sliced
2 dry bay leaves
1 pound (450 grams) large tubular pasta such as ziti, rigatoni, penne, or paccheri
Grated Parmigianno-Reggiano for serving

Instructions

Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Season on all sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a Dutch oven, add the pancetta and heat over medium to medium-high heat. Cook until the pancetta renders its fat and gets crispy, but not overcooked, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pot. If it’s a lot of fat, remove some until you only have about 2 tablespoons left in the pot. You can discard the rest or save it for cooking other things (like you might with bacon fat).
Add the seasoned cubes of chuck roast to the pot and sear on all sides until browned, about 7 to 10 minutes. If the beef releases liquid while cooking, continue searing until the liquid has evaporated. Alternatively, you can remove some of the excess liquid manually to speed things up. I use a folded paper towel gripped by tongs to soak up the excess liquid, then let the beef finish searing in the dry pan. Remove the seared beef to the same plate as the pancetta.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrot and celery along with a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes or until softened.
Add the white wine, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes to slightly reduce the wine.
Then add about half the onions and the bay leaves, and season with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Top the onions with the seared beef and pancetta, then finally top with the remaining sliced onions, seasoning with another pinch of salt and pepper.
Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for about 3 hours or longer, checking the mixture every 30 minutes or so, stirring, and replacing the lid. If the mixture seems dry, add a splash or two of water as needed. The onions and beef should practically be melting into each other.
Once the beef is very tender, remove the bay leaves and carefully mash it with the back of a spoon until it breaks apart or shred the meat with two forks. Let the mixture continue to cook, uncovered, for another few minutes, or until thickened, reduced, and the onions are lightly caramelized. If the mixture seems dry, add splashes of water as needed. It should be quite glossy and thick. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until about a minute shy of al dente. Save about 1 cup of pasta cooking water and set it aside in case you need it.
Drain the pasta, then add it directly to the pot of sauce. Over medium heat, stir to evenly coat the pasta with sauce and cook together for another 1 to 2 minutes. If it seems dry, add splashes of pasta cooking water and continue to stir until it’s the right consistency.
Serve immediately topped with grated Parmigianno-Reggiano cheese.

Notes

I find it easier to get chuck stew meat because it’s sold by smaller weights than a full size chuck roast which may be bigger than I need for this recipe. Avoid regular “stew meat” since you don’t know what cut or cuts it’s from and it may not cook evenly.
Onions are actually the star of pasta alla genovese! Peel and thinly slice brown or yellow onions. They will practically melt and dissolve into the sauce to create a silky and glossy finish.
Large tubular pasta is the best and most common style for serving with sugo all genovese. Recommended shapes include ziti, rigatoni, penne, or paccheri.

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