Genovese sauce and pasta
This is one of our favorite Italian recipes, and it is very easy even though it will take you a few hours because of the cooking time involved. It is a traditional choice when you are looking to make a hearty Italian meal for the family.
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Servings: 4 people
Calories: 929kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb (453.59 g) dry ziti or dry rigatoni pasta
- 2 lbs (907.18 g) yellow or white onions finely chopped
- 1.33 lbs (603.28 g) lean beef chuck (or blade) roughly chopped
- 3 (3) carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 (2) stalks of celery cleaned and finely chopped
- 2/3 cup (2/3 cup) dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons (3 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) tomato puree or a few tablespoons tomato sauce optional
- Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan cheese (optional) to taste
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Clean, peel and finely chop the onions, carrots and celery. You can use a food processor if desired but don't over blend.
- Remove excess fat from the piece of beef and cut into 5 large pieces.
- Heat the oil for a couple of minutes in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add all the onions and saute until just soft and then add the beef, the carrots and the celery and cook until the meat browns.
- Now season with salt and pepper, cover the pan or pot and cook over a low flame for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally and breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon if it is in clumps.
- If necessary, you can add a little water or some tomato sauce for braising liquid if the onions don't release enough moisture to cook the meat until tender.
- When the meat is well cooked, pour in the white wine and allow the sauce to simmer gently for another hour, stirring from time to time. The onions should have a creamy texture and the meat should be shredded and very soft.
- Bring a pot of water to boil, add coarse salt and cook the pasta until al dente, following the instructions on the package.
- Set aside a small cup of pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta in a colander. Add the pasta to the sauce, stirring well. You can add the pasta water you set aside if needed to coat the pasta thoroughly.
- Serve hot with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan cheese on top for some extra savory flavor if desired.
Notes
Some optional ingredients include adding a bit of tomato purée or a tablespoon of tomato paste if you want a hint of tomato. Some recipes call for 50 grams of diced "Napoli style" salami or diced Prosciutto crudo. You can also substitute lard for part of the extra virgin olive oil if you want an even more traditional method of cooking.
Vegan option: In the past, people made Genovese sauce without any meat at all, for example using plenty of onions, celery and carrots to make the sauce, which was called "finta Genovese" or fake Genovese in English. This was a dish that could be eaten during days of fasting or for lent when a person had given up meat.
With tomato: While our recipe lists tomato paste as optional, it is certainly possible to add some tomato sauce or paste and make this dish even richer and with a brighter color. Although it was not traditionally used in this recipe, as Genovese sauce predates the "discovery" of tomatoes, it is a welcome addition that will create a rich sauce the whole family will love.
Serving: 100g | Calories: 929kcal | Carbohydrates: 112g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 187mg | Potassium: 1309mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 7757IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 5mg
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