Hearty and full of big flavor, Pasta alla Genovese combines tender shredded beef in a delicious almost creamy onion sauce that’s tossed with pasta and parmesan. This hidden gem of a dish is perfect for Sundays in Fall and Winter.
Editor’s Note: Originally published on November 13, 2019. Updated with improved ingredient and process photos and expanded information.
Despite its name, Pasta alla Genovese hails from Naples and is essentially an onion-based sauce that’s cooked with a beef roast. The beef can be served on the side or used for another meal. But in my humble opinion it’s best when shredded for adding back to the sauce.
Thanks to the beef and onions, it’s flavor profile is very similar to French onion soup, but is much heartier.
I love to serve La Genovese with a sauteed green, such as garlicky broccoli rabe, or followed by a green salad.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Onions. Pasta Genovese is an onion forward dish calling for 5 pounds of onions. Yes, 5 pounds! You need plenty of onions because they cook down substantially during the long cooking process. I am using white onions but yellow or Spanish onions work fine too.
- Beef. Chuck roast is my beef of choice for this dish. Its fat content makes it ideal for braising and is usually budget-friendly. The chuck roast can be left whole, or can be cut into chunks before searing. The whole roast can be saved for another meal while the chunks allow for the beef to shred more readily if you plan to add it back to the onion sauce to serve with the pasta. Either way is fine!
- Pasta. Traditionally, long ziti is used and broken with your hands before boiling. However, it can sometimes be difficult to work with so I’ll often opt for regular cut ziti. Feel free to use penne or rigatoni if you prefer.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Preheat the oven to 300 F and place the racks with enough room to accommodate a Dutch oven and its lid. Dice 1/3 pound of pancetta and finely dice 1 large carrot, 1 celery rib, and 5 pounds of white onions. Cut a 2 to 2 1/2 pound chuck roast into large chunks, pat them dry with paper towels, and season liberally on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy pot to medium heat and cook the pancetta until it renders most of its fat then remove the pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate to drain. Leave the fat in the pot.
- Add the chuck roast to the pot and sear on all sides until well browned, then remove the beef to the same plate with the pancetta.
- Add 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil to the pot along with the carrots and celery and cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft.
- Turn the heat to high and add 1 1/2 cups of dry white wine. Cook until the wine reduces by half while scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to dislodge any brown bits.
- Add the onions along with 1/2 cup of water and a pinch of salt, then give a stir. Place the beef and pancetta into the pot.
- Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place in the oven to cook for 3 hours checking at the halfway point and adding water if needed. Note: Alternatively, you can cook on the stovetop, covered, over low heat for 3 hours checking every 30 minutes, stirring the onions and adding water to prevent burning.
- After 3 hours of cooking check the beef and if it’s fork tender, remove it from the pot and once cool shred it with a fork. If it’s still not tender enough, allow it to cook for another 30 minutes and check again.
- After removing the beef, turn the heat to medium and cook the onions until they’re creamy and soft and lightly caramelized but not burnt, about 45-60 minutes. If at any time they start to burn, add a splash of water or white wine and lower the heat by a touch if required.
- Add the shredded beef back to the pot and stir it all together. Taste test and make any final adjustments to salt and pepper. Keep the sauce on a low simmer and bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook 1 pound of ziti (or penne) to 1 minute less than al dente, reserving at least 2 cups of pasta water.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat with 3 cups of the Genovese sauce, then add the pasta to the pan along with a splash of pasta water. Stir frequently until the pasta reaches al dente, then remove the pan from the heat. Add more pasta water and/or sauce as required.
- Add 1/2 cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and serve immediately. Enjoy! Note: extra sauce can be served at the table and/or saved for another occasion.
Top tips
- Use the oven. While Pasta alla Genovese is traditionally cooked on the stovetop, I find that it’s much easier to allow it to cook in the oven. Cooking it in the oven helps prevent sticking and distributes the heat more easily. If you do cook on the stove, be sure to check it and stir every 30 minutes or so adding water as needed to prevent burning.
- Save your pasta water. As with most of our pasta recipes, I suggest saving your pasta water to help loosen the sauce if it becomes too thick.
- Add some butter. While it’s entirely optional and not listed as one of the ingredients, adding a knob of butter (2 tablespoons or so) at the end when saucing the pasta lends another layer of richness to the dish and helps the pasta and sauce mix together more easily.
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Pasta Alla Genovese
Pasta alla Genovese combines tender shredded beef in a creamy onion sauce that's tossed with pasta and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454g) penne or ziti
- 1/3 pound (150g) pancetta diced
- 2 1/2 pounds (1.2kg) chuck roast
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup (60g) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large carrot finely diced
- 1 rib celery finely diced
- 1 1/2 cups (360g) dry white wine
- 1/2 cup (120g) water
- 5 pounds (2.2kg) onions diced
- 1/2 cup (45g) grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2 cups (480g) reserved pasta water will most likely not it all
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 F and set the racks with enough space to accommodate a large Dutch oven and its lid. Heat the Dutch oven or heavy pot to medium heat with the pancetta and cook the pancetta until it renders most of its fat. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate making sure to leave the fat in the pot.
- Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels then season all sides liberally with the salt and pepper. Add the chuck roast to the pot and sear on all sides until well browned. Remove the roast to the same plate with the pancetta.
- Add the extra virgin olive oil, carrots, celery, and a pinch of salt and cook for around 10 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft.
- Turn the heat to high and add the white wine. Reduce the wine by about half while scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to dislodge all the flavor bits. Add in all of the onions, 1/2 cup water, and a pinch of salt. Give it a stir.
- Place the seared beef and pancetta into the pot, cover with a lid and place in the oven to cook for 3 hours. Check at the halfway point and add water if needed. Alternatively, you can cook on low heat on the stovetop for 3 hours checking every 30 minutes, stirring the onions if needed, and adding a bit more water to keep moist and prevent burning.
- After 3 hours of cooking, check the beef. If it is fork tender, remove it from the pot and shred, otherwise leave it in the pot and cook for another 30 minutes and check again.
- After removing the beef, turn the heat to medium and cook the onions uncovered until they are creamy and soft and lightly caramelized but not burned (about 45-60 minutes). If at any time they start to burn add a splash of water or white wine.
- Add the shredded beef back to the pot and stir it all together. Taste test and make any final adjustments to salt and pepper. Keep the sauce at a low simmer and bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta to 1 minute less than al dente.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat with 3 cups of the sauce. Add the pasta to the pan along with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta reaches a perfect al dente then remove the pan from the heat. Use extra pasta water to loosen it up, if needed and add more sauce if desired. Mix in the grated cheese and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Extra sauce can be served at the table or saved for another use.
- Calorie info is for the full 2 pounds of beef shredded and added to the pasta. For a much lighter dish save the beef or use it for another course.
- It’s easier to cook the ragu in the oven for the first 3 hours, but it 100% can be made on the stovetop. Just make sure to check the pot every 30 minutes and add a splash of water if it gets too dry.
- Any leftover sauce can be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge, or even better, freeze it for up to 3 months and use it for a quick weeknight meal!
Nutrition
Calories: 858kcal | Carbohydrates: 77.7g | Protein: 65.8g | Fat: 27.2g | Saturated Fat: 8.3g | Cholesterol: 221mg | Sodium: 967mg | Potassium: 1196mg | Fiber: 8.4g | Sugar: 16.5g | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 9mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on November 13, 2019. It was completely updated on November 1, 2024.
Step 7, oven or stovetop??? What is a “medium” setting if cooking in oven? We were supposed to be doing 300F.
Step 6 is to remove it from the oven and step 7 takes place on the stovetop. Hope that helps.
This is great. I made it tonight using the oven. I had pasta Genovese 2 weeks in Florence, Italy. This was as good or better I must say. Thanks for the video.
We’re so happy to hear that, John!
One of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever had (with homemade fresh pasta). Brilliant recipe, thank you so much !
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Antoine!
This recipe is fantastic!
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Jagoda!
You know I love your recipes. Your site is one of the top three I always go to to source recipes. This recipe was just OK to me, especially given the amount of time–easy prep but a lot of time for nothing spectacular. I made it to the tee including five pounds of white onions, with the only exception adding some chili flakes to the onions during the stovetop step at the end because I felt it needed something–spice or maybe even acid like a splash of red wine vinegar perhaps? I used pinot grigio, maybe not acidic enough? I agree that it tasted like pot roast over noodles. Now, one thing to let you know. . . I had printed out the recipe, and for some reason the step about cutting up the chuck roast into large chunks that is only referenced in the PHOTO Step 1 isn’t indicated in the recipe steps itself or in the printout version. (I kept reading it over and over again thinking I missed it.), so I seared the roast whole and braised it whole without any issue shredding, but thought I’d let you know–honestly don’t think it would make much difference other than not getting as much seared bits. Thanks as always for your efforts inventing and perfecting in the kitchen and you being you. Love you both!
Hi Brenda, thank you for the comment. We just updated the ingredient notes in the post as well as the notes in the recipe card to address the roast. It can be kept whole, as you did, or it can be cut into chunks to make it easier to shred. We appreciate your feedback!
Absolutely delicious !!! I was worried …5lbs of onions…it was hearty, a great stretch, great flavor!! serves and serves some more. And it really helps to prep all the ingredients ahead of time!!
Love your recipes!
Next on our menu list is the Baked Italian Rice
Thanks for the comment, Tam! We’re so happy you enjoyed it and hope you love the riso al forno too!
Love your recipes .Make them all the time.
Keep up the good work.
Love the boys!
So happy to hear that, Gerrie!
Hi guys,
Love this recipe! I am from Naples, where this sauce is so popular. My visits to family and restaurants in Naples had variations on this recipe. All were delicious, but our family used diced prosciutto, the same vegetables but an eye round of veal. All ingredients were put in the pot (the roast was not browned) and simmered for 4 hours. We always buttered the pasta prior to adding the sauce. I’m going to try this recipe because finding an eye round of veal here in South Carolina is difficult and very costly versus a chuck roast. My only concern is the fat content of a chuck roast making the sauce greasy. Any suggestions? Thanks so much, love your site.
Hi Joe, thanks for the comment. As far as the fat content, yes, a chuck does have a bit of fat but you can do a few things. You can either degrease the sauce using the paper towel method Jim has done in many of his videos, or you can make the sauce the day before you plan to serve, place in the fridge, and allow the fat to accumulate at the top of the sauce and solidfy. It will be easy to remove at that point. I hope that helps!
Five pounds of onions?????
Was that a typo?
Don’t get me wrong because I absolutely love onions in any shape or form but, even for me that is a L.OT of onions
That’s correct. You can watch the video where Jim prepares this dish and you’ll see he’s using 5 lbs.
Loved the dish….going to make it again but this time I’ll try some tomato paste and cherry tomatoes…not too much just for a little kick. Watched most of your shows and love them all. Your son is a good critic on your food tasting….
All in all thank you for everything you do.
PS…I’m 74 and still learning
Hi Dr. Paul, we’re so happy you enjoyed this dish and really appreciate your comment. Thanks for following along with us!
This did not work for me. It certainly didn’t seem like a pasta sauce. It tasted like a bland version of pot roast. And the prep was much longer than 20 minutes. Sorry. I have loved everything else I have tried on Sip and Feast so far
Hi there, sorry to hear the recipe didn’t work out for you.
My family has made this for years so happy to have found your recipes. I’ve made your calamari a few times now!
Hi Rose, thanks for the comment and so happy you’re enjoying the recipes!
Hi Jim,
I have some leftover sirloin roast. Is it possible to make this recipe just doing the onions, etc then adding the meat just to heat it up or would it work to add the meat in like in the beginning? I’m trying to find ways to use up my meat.
Thanks
Hi Janis, I haven’t tested it like this but I would make the recipe with just the onions and then add the meat at the end just to warm it up, as you said. Since the sirloin is already cooked, there is not going to be much fat on it so adding it at the beginning won’t have the same effect as the chuck does in the recipe.
Can your recipes be made in half …there’s only 2of us…
Luv your videos, easy to understand …I’m a garlic freak also………
Thank you, Sara! Yes, you can definitely cut the recipes in half. There is an adjuster within the recipe card that allows you to increase or decrease the number of servings.
I love onions and other ingredients listed. Definitely will try this. Love the videos!
I hope you enjoy it, Bev. Thanks for liking the videos!
We make our Genoese like yours but a little different. We use prosciutto skin and hard salami diced instead of pancetta, a little vermouth instead of white wine. And in the last hour we add sliced mushrooms and about a cup of raisins. It’s sooo delicious and better made the day before!
Hi Madeline. Thanks for sharing. Sounds great with the mushrooms and raisins!
This was great, thanks. Can’t wait to make the Pasta a la Genovesa!!!
Just made this and oh my lord it was amazing and super easy as well!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it!
Good morning, congrats on having being chosen to be featured on our blog! Thank you for your contribution. This recipe is awesome.
Heidy
Sorry I missed this comment. Thanks so much for featuring it!