The Soffritto

Cup of Yum
1. Peel the carrot and clean the celery. Then chop the vegetables coarsely.
2. Prepare the meat on a cutting board. Remove any excess fat and cut into medium sized pieces.
3. Pour the oil into a saucepan and add the chopped carrot and celery. Sauté for a few minutes.

The Genovese Sauce

1. Add the pieces of meat to the soffritto. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the meat browns all over.
2. Meanwhile, peel the onions. Then slice them finely using a mandoline slicer.
3. Add the onions to the meat and mix well. Then add the chopped parsley and a bay leaf.
4. When the onions are wilted, add ½ cup of room temperature dry white wine. Let the alcohol evaporate. Cover and continue to cook over very low heat for about 2 hours.
5. After 2 hours, the sauce will have taken on its characteristic brownish color and the meat will be tender. At this point, raise the heat a little and add the remaining ½ cup of white wine. Stir and continue to cook over a low heat for another hour.
6. At the end of this time, your Genovese sauce is ready. The meat and onions will have become creamy and well blended. Taste and add salt if necessary.

Cooking the Pasta

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ziti (which you have now broken up with your hands) according to the cooking time on the package (about 10 minutes).
2. Drain the pasta al dente with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl with the sauce. Toss the pasta with the Genovese sauce and serve.
3. Pour a little Genovese sauce on each plate and sprinkle with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese if you like. Serve the Pasta alla Genovese hot.