Ragù alla Genovese Recipe | Our Favorite Italian Ragù

There is, in our opinion, an Italian ragù that stands head and shoulders above any other Italy has to offer. No, it’s not the famous ragù alla Bolognese. Nor is it the famous southern “Sunday sauce” that is our beloved ragù alla Napoletana. Rather, it’s a recipe that few outside of Italy have heard of: Ragù alla Genovese.

Ragù alla Genovese Recipe | Our Favorite Italian Ragù

Despite the name, this ragù did not originate in Genoa but in Naples. One theory behind the title is that it was popular among Genoese sailors who visited the Campanian city. Ragù alla Genovese is a very slow cook but well worth the effort. You need a ton of onions, which reduce into a creamy, hearty sauce. The ragù itself can be served as a pasta sauce (we recommend smooth tube pasta shapes, such as ziti or penne lisce) for a first course, and the remaining beef can be served as a second course (topped with some of the leftover ragù, of course).

The Meat

A traditional ragù alla Genovese is made with beef, cut into large chunks. This is a great way to use sub-prime, cheaper cuts of meat, the kind of beef you might stew. Leaner cuts work well, but you can also use something like chuck roast which has a lot of slow-rendering fat. It’s very flexible, so don’t sweat the cut too much: as long as you have big chunks of boneless beef, you’re all set.

When cooking and serving the ragù, you have a few options when it comes to treating the meat. The beef cooks long enough that it becomes extremely tender and shreddable. It is recommended to shred some of the beef in the pot (you can do so very easily with just about any utensil) so that it mixes into the sauce. If you like, you can shred all the meat so that it’s completely incorporated into the sauce, or you can leave some beef chunks intact to serve separately. It’s up to you!

The Pasta

Tube pasta shapes are the way to go here, especially smooth tubes. This is a very thick sauce, so it will cling better to smooth pasta than to “rigate” pasta shapes (with ridges, such as penne rigate). Ziti is the most classic choice.

Serving this ragù as a pasta sauce couldn’t be simpler. Boil the pasta as directed until al-dente, drain it completely and return the pasta to the pot. Ladle in the desired amount of ragù and stir all together over medium heat. Serve immediately, topped with some grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino cheese.

Watch the Pasta Grammar video:

RAGÙ ALLA GENOVESE RECIPE

Makes: 8 to 10 servings

Cook Time: About 10 hours, largely unattended

For this recipe, you will need:

• ½ cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 tablespoons (40 g) lard

• 3 ½ pounds (1.5 kilograms) lean beef steak, cut into roughly 4-inch (10 cm) chunks

• ½ large carrot, diced

• 1 rib celery, diced

• 4 bay leaves

• 1 cup (240 ml) white or red wine

• 6 ½ pounds (3 kg) onions, sliced

• 1 tablespoon (15 g) tomato paste

• Salt

• Fresh ground black pepper

In a large, heavy pot (preferably terra-cotta or a Dutch oven), heat the olive oil and lard over medium heat. Add the meat chunks and brown them on all sides. If the meat releases a lot of water, just let it simmer off, at which point the beef will begin to brown. Add the carrot, celery, and bay leaves and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the wine and bring it to a brisk simmer. Let simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, then stir in the onions and cover the pot with the lid. (If the onions overfill the pot, press them in, then cover the pot). Reduce the heat to medium-low and let steam for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions wilt and lose volume.

Add a generous pinch of salt and stir everything together. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and let the ragù cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour, or until the onions are extremely tender and have released a lot of liquid.

Stir in the tomato paste, partially cover the pot again and let cook for 6 to 9 hours, stirring occasionally, until the onions have transformed into an almost creamy sauce and the meat is extremely tender. The cook time will vary depending on the moisture content of the onions and the cut of beef used, but be patient and wait until everything comes together.

As the sauce nears completion, season with salt and pepper. Shred at least half of the beef chunks in the pot by breaking them up with a wooden spoon and stir the shredded meat to mix into the sauce (see above).

Ladle out the sauce to mix with pasta as a first course (see above for some tips), then keep the remaining beef chunks warm in the sauce and serve separately as a second course.

Any leftover ragù can be frozen and reheated later in a pot or saucepan.

Buon appetito!