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Genovese napoletana
Genovese napoletana: Naples' beef and onion sauce slow-cooked for ziti
Despite its name, the genovese is pure Naples, a Sunday lunch dish as treasured there as ragù. Kilos of onions are cooked very slowly with a piece of beef until they melt into a sweet, amber, almost jammy sauce that is tossed with long ziti broken by hand; the beef is then sliced and eaten as the second course. White wine goes in once the onions have collapsed (an alcohol-free swap is in the ingredients). A grating of parmigiano or pecorino is all it needs. Some Neapolitan cooks start it with a little pancetta (cured pork), which is optional here. Chef's tip: slice the onions thinly and evenly, and keep the heat so low that they never fry; they should stew in their own juices and the fat of the meat for hours.
- Total time
- 270 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the sauce
For the pasta
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy casserole over a medium heat, with the pancetta if using. Add 2 lb beef chuck or topside, in one or two pieces and brown it on all sides.
10 minStep 2: Add 1 carrot and 1 celery stick and cook for 3 minutes, then add 4 ⅜ lb golden onions, 2 bay leaves and 2 tsp salt. Stir, cover tightly and turn the heat to the lowest setting.
5 minStep 3: Cook for 3 hours, stirring every 20 minutes and turning the meat. The onions will release a lot of liquid and then slowly turn soft, pale gold and creamy. Don't rush them over a higher heat: that's the usual reason a genovese tastes bitter and burnt instead of sweet.
180 minStep 4: Uncover, pour in ¾ cup dry white wine and raise the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring often and adding splashes of the wine as it evaporates, until the onions are a deep amber, jam-like sauce and the beef is fork-tender.
50 minStep 5: Lift out the beef, cover it and keep warm. Taste the sauce for salt.
Step 6: Cook 1 ⅛ lb long ziti in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, keeping a cup of the water.
12 minStep 7: Toss the pasta with the onion sauce over a low heat, loosening with a little pasta water so it coats every piece. Serve with 2 ⅛ oz parmigiano reggiano or pecorino.
Step 8: Slice the beef and serve it as a second course, with a spoonful of the remaining sauce.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 92 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does genovese napoletana take?
- About 270 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 240 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of carrot?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
- What can I use instead of celery stick?
- Fennel, same weight.
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