Pasta alla Genovese (Neapolitan Slow-Braised Onion and Beef Ragu)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 145 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Pasta alla Genovese is a Neapolitan slow-cooked ragu that uses a large volume of onions braised together with beef chuck for at least two hours over low heat.
Read more
No tomato is involved at any stage; the sauce draws all its sweetness from the onions, which gradually dissolve and caramelize into a thick, deeply savory base, while white wine and the rendered beef fat add richness and acidity. Once the onions have nearly melted into the sauce, the beef is shredded and folded back in, giving the finished ragu a dense, almost jam-like consistency with strands of meat throughout. Despite its name, the dish has no connection to Genoa or Ligurian basil pesto; it is a distinctly Neapolitan preparation, and the name is thought to trace back to Genoese cooks or merchants who settled in Naples. Ziti is the traditional pasta shape, served with a generous dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Control
Cut the 450 g beef chuck into a few large pieces if it is in one slab.
Heat a heavy pot over medium heat, then add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and let it shimmer before searing.
- 2Finish
Add the beef and brown each side for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the surface is deeply colored.
Do not try to cook it through now; remove it to a plate so the pot keeps the browned flavor.
- 3Control
Thinly slice the 700 g onions, then finely chop the 80 g carrot and 60 g celery.
Add them to the same pot over medium-low heat and cook until the onions soften and begin to collapse.
- 4Control
Pour in the 120 ml white wine and scrape the browned bits from the bottom into the vegetables.
Return the beef to the pot, lower the heat to low, and cover so the onions can braise slowly.
- 5Step
Braise for at least 90 minutes, stirring now and then so the onion does not catch on the bottom.
It is ready when the onions have nearly melted and the beef pulls apart easily with a fork.
- 6Finish
Shred the beef along the grain, stir it into the sauce, and check the consistency.
Toss the ragu with 320 g cooked ziti and serve with 60 g Parmigiano.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Neapolitan ragu featuring a large volume of onions slow-braised with beef for two hours.
- Finish cue
- Shred the beef along the grain, stir it into the sauce, and check the consistency.
- Avoid this
- Do not try to cook it through now; remove it to a plate so the pot keeps the browned flavor.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
145min, 8 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 109 recipes
Official cooking and safety guidance
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Storage and reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours and use them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat the center to 74°C.
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Leftovers and Food Safety
Sources checked 2026-08-03
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