Pasta alla Genovese [Recipe Explained Step by Step]

beef

🥗Healthier: lean turkey

💰Cheaper: pork

Turkey reduces fat content while pork can be more affordable.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grana padano

Nutritional yeast offers a cheesy flavor with fewer calories.

Clean and cut all the vegetables, starting with the onions. Peel and cut the onions as thin as possible.

Soak the onions in water to avoid crying while cutting. Use coppery onions or white onions if coppery are unavailable.

Finely dice the carrots after peeling them. Clean and cut the celery as well.

Cut the beef into 100 gram slices. Choose a beef cut that holds up during long cooking without becoming mushy. Optionally, add a bit of pork.

Heat enough olive oil in a pan over high heat. Wait until the oil is very hot before adding the meat.

Sear the meat on all sides using two wooden spoons to avoid poking it with a fork, which would cause it to lose its juices. Brown the meat well.

Add the vegetables to the browned meat and stir until they become brown.

Pour in red wine and add herbs (bay leaves, rosemary, sage, whole pepper, and a clove). Lower the heat as the wine evaporates.

Add all the onions and salt after the wine has evaporated. After 30 minutes, check if hot water is needed and add 1 cup if necessary. Keep the heat very low, using a heat diffuser if available.

Let the sauce cook for at least four hours, adding hot water if it gets too dry. Stir occasionally and check the consistency.

After four hours, check the meat; it should be tender enough to break apart with a fork. Remove most of the beef and let the onions cook longer.

Boil water for the pasta, adding salt once it boils. Add the pasta and stir. Cook until al dente.

While the pasta cooks, cut the meat into pieces and set aside.

Before turning off the heat, add the hard cheese rind to the pasta. Stir well to combine.

Turn off the heat and serve the pasta on a plate with a piece of meat and some grated nutmeg.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens