The key sauce from Naples, revealed
Genovese Sauce is Italy’s hidden gem. In contrast to Bolognese, it doesn’t depend on tomato sauce. As a substitute, it’s all about melting onions, tender beef, and time. A lot of time. We’re speaking 6 hours of sluggish cooking in a pot, and sure… it’s completely price it.
Some cook dinner it quick, some skip the sofrito, and most of the people outdoors of Campania have by no means even heard of it. However when you attempt it, I promise this wealthy, slow-cooked beef and onion ragù will develop into your new obsession. It is a conventional recipe, however I added a number of twist like mixing the soffritto for a silky texture that even the youngsters will love (they gained’t even know there are veggies in there!)
The onions are slowly simmered till they launch their pure moisture and that juice turns into the braising liquid for the meat so there isn’t any inventory wanted. The onions nearly fully soften down and remodel into the inspiration of a wealthy, jam-like ragù that fills the hole heart of ziti, so each chew is bursting with taste.
This Genovese sauce is so good, you don’t simply should serve it with pasta. Actually, it’s a dish by itself! Spoon it over a thick slice of crusty bread for a bruschetta-style breakfast, or serve it on high of creamy polenta as a fundamental course. And in case you’re feeling like one thing a little bit totally different, you need to use it as a filling for a savory pie. Belief me, when you style it, you’ll begin discovering excuses to eat it any approach you may.
Watch PASTA ALLA GENOVESE How to Make the Secret Neapolitan MEAT SAUCE
Italians have kept this Genovese Sauce a secret and it’s one of the best ragù’s you will ever try

Vincenzo’s Plate Tricks to make Genovese Sauce
Choose Your Cuts
For those who can’t supply chuck steak, otherwise you wish to attempt one thing totally different, you need to use beef brisket. It may be a little bit extra expensive, however it’s a incredible choice for sluggish cooking. For those who’re caught, simply ask a neighborhood butcher for any lower of beef that likes to simmer low and sluggish. In the case of pork, in case you’re not a fan of pork rashers, attempt pork medallion or pork scotch fillet as a substitute. You should utilize any lower so long as your pork and beef can deal with an extended cook dinner.
Select Your Onion
The soul of this Genovese Pasta is the onions and also you want at the very least 1.3kg. Don’t use much less. Brown onions give the perfect stability of sweetness and depth, whereas crimson onions add additional punch. Alternatively, white onions/ yellow onions give a milder end.
Tears of Pleasure (and Onion)
The key of beef Genovese sauce even shocked me, however it all comes right down to the onions. A lot of them – much more than you may assume vital! To attenuate the sting in your eyes when prepping, slice your onions over a bowl of water or maintain a moist paper towel close by. It gained’t work miracles, however each little bit helps!
Penne for Your Ideas
Ziti is the only option of pasta to serve with this sauce because it traps all of the wealthy ragù inside every tube. For those who can’t supply it? Penne or rigatoni will work properly too!
A Moist Soffritto Will Work Finest
Control your soffritto whereas it cooks. If it begins to stay or look too dry, add a splash of water to maintain issues transferring easily.
Solely White Wine Allowed!
This pasta Genovese sauce loves white wine because it retains the flavors gentle and lets the onions shine. Crimson wine isn’t the best flavour in any respect for this dish so keep away from utilizing it as an alternative.
Tomato is Elective
Some cooks in Naples wish to throw in a number of cherry tomatoes or a spoon of tomato paste for acidity and stability. After testing this recipe many occasions, I don’t assume it’s wanted in any respect, however attempt it out for your self in case you assume yours wants it.
Bay Bye!
Don’t neglect to take away the bay leaf earlier than serving. Nobody needs to chew into that shock.
Leftover Pleasant
This Genovese sauce recipe makes an enormous batch and that’s totally on goal. Freeze leftovers in parts, then reheat gently on the stovetop (not the microwave!) and serve over freshly cooked pasta. Your mid-week self searching for consolation meals however with no time to make it, will thanks.

The way to Serve Genovese Sauce
As soon as your pasta is off the range, sprinkle generously with pecorino cheese and provides it an excellent toss so it’s fantastically coated. Seize a flat plate and pile on a hearty serving of pasta, then spoon over a beneficiant quantity of the pulled beef and onion sauce proper on high. End with one other sprinkle of pecorino for that good salty kick.


Overlook the whole lot you recognize about ragu—Genovese sauce is in a league of its personal. This slow-cooked ragù from Naples bubbles away for hours, turning mountains of onions, soffritto, white wine, pork, and beef right into a sauce so wealthy and tender it hugs each strand of the ziti pasta it’s served with. It’s candy, savory, creates fall-apart strands of meat and critically subsequent degree.
Servings: pot
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Lower the brown onions in half and use a mandoline or onion slicer to slice them into skinny items. Soak the slices in a bowl of water to assist scale back the sharpness and decrease tears.
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Individually, roughly chop ¼ of a brown onion, the carrot, and celery into small items. Add them to a meals processor with a beneficiant quantity of EVOO and a splash of water. Mix right into a easy combination.
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Lower the big items of beef chuck and pork rashers into small, even-sized chunks, then set them apart.
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Place your Dutch oven over medium warmth, then add about 3 tablespoons of EVOO and pour within the blended soffritto combine. Cook dinner for round 10 minutes, stirring sometimes utilizing a wood spoon.
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Add the chopped meat to the pan and stir to mix with the soffritto. Improve to medium-high warmth and brown the meat. Cowl with a lid and let it cook dinner in its personal steam for two minutes.
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Add salt and pepper (not an excessive amount of), stir, and toss within the 4 bay leaves. Put the lid again on and let it simmer for an additional 2 minutes.
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Pour within the white wine to deglaze the pan and let it cook dinner uncovered for about 5 minutes to permit the alcohol to evaporate.
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Add within the sliced onions. Gently combine to mix and produce a number of the meat to the floor. Season once more with salt and pepper to style. Cowl with a lid and cook dinner on low warmth for 4 hours, stirring each 30 minutes.
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After 4 hours, take away the lid and proceed to cook dinner the sauce uncovered for an additional 2 hrs on low warmth to let the liquid scale back and focus the flavour.
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As soon as the sauce is thick and jammy, gently squash the meat utilizing a spoon or spatula to tug it aside. Take away and discard the bay leaves.
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Convey a big pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt, then cook dinner the ziti in keeping with the bundle directions. Stir sometimes to stop sticking. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water earlier than you drain the pasta.
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In a medium-sized pan, add as a lot Genovese ragù as you want. As soon as the pasta is al dente, switch it to the pan and stir properly to coat. If wanted, add a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce and create a fair creamier texture then toss to emulsify.
E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Get pleasure from!

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This Dutch Oven Modified the Method I Cook dinner Pasta Genovese and Right here’s Why
For this pasta Genovese recipe, I’m utilizing my brand-new Dutch oven from Naked Cookware and let me let you know, it’s a complete recreation changer. Conventional forged iron Dutch ovens might be heavy, crack over time, and let’s be sincere, they’re not precisely dishwasher pleasant. However Naked Cookware has taken this traditional kitchen important and made it even higher.
With an aluminum exterior, it’s 40% lighter, and the stainless-steel inside means no chipping, no cracking, and it’s even dishwasher pleasant. It additionally distributes warmth evenly for good sluggish cooking and comes with a lifetime guarantee. Proper now, it’s a part of a Kickstarter marketing campaign, and I backed it instantly. If you wish to be one of many first to personal what I name the Ferrari of Dutch ovens, click here to grab the limited-time discount.

Need Extra Dutch Oven Recipes? Attempt These:
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SLOW COOKED BEEF RAGU PASTA – Soften-in-your-mouth beef, herbs, and crimson wine come collectively on this wealthy, slow-cooked ragù that wraps round each ribbon of pasta like a heat Italian hug.
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OSSOBUCO RECIPE – Fall-off-the-bone veal shanks simmered in a wealthy, flavorful sauce. This Italian traditional is pure consolation meals, good with risotto, polenta, or heat crusty bread.

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