Pasta with la Genovese ragu from Naples

Name: Pasta with la Genovese ragu from Naples
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 4 h 10 min
Total time: 4 h 25 min
Yield: 4 serving
Ingredients: 320 g Ziti or Zitoni pasta; 1.5 kg coppery onions; 900 g beef; 2 talks celery; 2 carrots; 2 bay leaves; 1 handful fresh parsley; 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; salt; black pepper; ½ glass dry white wine; 50 g parmigiano reggiano

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Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs 15 mins
Total Time
4 hrs 25 mins
Servings
4
Calories
1200 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Italian

Pasta with la Genovese ragu from Naples

Daisy Meyer

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This iconic recipe from Naples involves slow cooking beef and onions to create a rich tasty sauce that can be served with pasta, as well as with potatoes.

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Ingredients

Servings

320 g Ziti or Zitoni pasta (11oz) you can also use penne or rigatoni
1.5 kg coppery onions (3.3lbs) you can also use normal yellow onions
900 g beef (2lbs) chuck steak or brasing steak
2 talks celery washed and cut into small pieces
2 carrots washed and cut into small pieces
2 bay leaves
1 handful fresh parsley
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt for pasta and to taste
black pepper to taste
½ glass dry white wine
50 g parmigiano reggiano (2oz) grated for serving

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Instructions

Begin by peeling the onions and slicing them thinly. Wash and cut the carrots and celery into small pieces
Remove any fat from the meat and cut it into about 5-7 pieces
Heat the olive oil in a deep pan. Fry the carrots, celery and onions together for a couple of minutes, stirring continuously.
Add the meat, parsley, bay leaves and a teaspoon of salt. Mix together and cook for a couple of minutes until the meat starts to brown. (some people prefer to brown the meat first, I didn’t)
Cover the pot, lower the heat and cook for about 3 hours. You will need to check it and stir every now and again, but the onions should create enough liquid for the meat to cook in. If it seems dry add some beef stock or water.
After 3 hours, remove the bay leaves, add half the wine, salt and pepper to taste, stir and let simmer on a low heat uncovered for one hour. You may need to add more wine as the sauce reduces. Continue to stir often.
Once the meat is very soft you can remove it from the sauce and save it to serve later, apart from a small quantity which should be shredded (cut into very small pieces) and returned to the sauce. Alternatively shred all the meat and return it to the sauce. (this is what I did)
Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil. Bring to the boil again.
If you are using long ziti or zitoni, break the pasta in half or 3 pieces before adding it to the water. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet.
When the pasta is cooked, save a cup of the cooking water and drain. If your sauce seems dry, add some of the pasta cooking water and stir. Add the pasta to the sauce and mix well or in the case of long pieces of pasta it may be easier to cover it with sauce once you have plated it.
Serve immediately with chopped parsley and grated Parmigiano cheese.

Notes

This recipe really needs to be cooked for a long time, although the process may be sped up by using a pressure cooker, I'm not sure that the results would be as delicious. In Naples, they traditionally use use ziti or zitoni pasta that has been broken in half by hand before cooking. If you can’t find this pasta then short pasta such as rigatoni or penne work well too.
This dish can be made a day or two in advance and kept in the fridge (in fact the sauce tastes even better). You can also serve the sauce with pasta and most the pieces of meat with potatoes. Two meals or courses with the work of one!

Nutrition Information

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Calories 1200kcal (60%) Carbohydrates 100g (33%) Protein 58g (116%) Fat 60g (92%) Saturated Fat 21g (105%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 29g Trans Fat 3g Cholesterol 168mg (56%) Sodium 410mg (17%) Potassium 1521mg (43%) Fiber 10g (40%) Sugar 20g (40%) Vitamin A 5378IU (108%) Vitamin C 32mg (36%) Calcium 314mg (31%) Iron 7mg (39%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1200 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	1200kcal	60%
Carbohydrates	100g	33%
Protein	58g	116%
Fat	60g	92%
Saturated Fat	21g	105%
Polyunsaturated Fat	3g	18%
Monounsaturated Fat	29g	145%
Trans Fat	3g	150%
Cholesterol	168mg	56%
Sodium	410mg	17%
Potassium	1521mg	32%
Fiber	10g	40%
Sugar	20g	40%
Vitamin A	5378IU	108%
Vitamin C	32mg	36%
Calcium	314mg	31%
Iron	7mg	39%