Pasta with la Genovese meat sauce, or pasta alla Genovese, is a traditional iconic Neapolitan dish made with slow cooked beef and onions. Dating back to the 15^th century, alla Genovese is a dish that families in Naples often prepare for Sunday lunch and holidays. It takes a while to make this Italian classic but it's definitely one of the best Italian ragù recipes you will ever try.

Ziti con la Genovese da Napoli.

Genovese ragù has very few ingredients. It calls for onions (lots of onions!) and braising beef cooked together over a low heat for 3- 4 hours (yes 4 hours!!) to create a thick rich pasta sauce, which is served normally served with ziti or zitoni.

(This recipe was first published in 2017 but has been updated)

As in a number of other traditional Italian slow cooked pasta recipes like Ischian rabbit and duck ragu, most of the meat is served separately as a main course. But, you can also shred it and serve it just with the pasta (as I did) or save it for another meal.

La Genovese doesn't come from Genova!

Interestingly, the name of this dish is not indicative of the place of origin as it is for dishes like tagliatelle alla bolognese, a typical recipe from Bologna in Emilia Romagna.

They don't eat this Neapolitan ragù in Liguria or Genova the Ligurian capital, where pesto alla Genovese comes from. There are various theories as to how it came to be called la Genovese. Some believe this pasta with slow cooked beef and onions was simply invented by a Neapolitan chef whose surname or perhaps nickname was ‘the Genovese’.

Others believe that it is connected to the Genovese cooks living in Naples when the city was under Aragonese and Spanish rule in the fifteenth century. These cooks were known for their pasta sauces based on meat.

This sauce is mentioned as a ‘ragù’ in a famous Italian recipe book from the 19th century. The Theoretical Kitchen-Practice, written by Ippolito Cavalcanti,  Duke of Buonvicino. is the book that brought Neapolitan cuisine to the world!

The Genovese recipe in Cavalcanti’s book is less elaborate than the one popular today. It was originally considered the poor version of a classic ragu because it could be made with cheaper tough cuts of meat.

Ingredients for pasta alla Genovese!

The beef.

To make la Genovese ragù you will need a cut of beef that is well suited to long slow cooking. Chuck roast or braising steak are good.  The beef needs to be cut into large pieces. This recipe can also be made with lamb, short ribs or pork. Plus, there's even an octopus version.

The onions.

The onions they use in Naples for this recipe are traditionally coppery outside and slightly red inside, particularly Montoro onions a local variety known for their aromatic and sweet flavor.

Of course, you can use normal yellow onions. I used a mixture of yellow and sweet red onions. In total, you will need 1.5kg (3.3lbs) of onions. This sounds like a lot of onions. But, the onions really reduce and produce the braising liquid in which the large chunks of beef cook.

Herbs and aromatics.

Apart from the onions, alla Genovese also has a traditional soffritto (mirepoix) of carrots and celery cut into small cubes. The only herbs in this recipe are bay leaf and parsley, and the only other liquid is wine, usually white wine, not red wine.

The pasta.

Finally, to make your pasta alla Genovese very Neapolitan, use ziti or zitoni that have been broken in half by hand before cooking. Some Neapolitans use candele. This is a long hollow pasta shape similar to zitoni but even longer, about 50cm in length! If you can’t find these pasta types then short pasta such as rigatoni or penne works well too!

Step by Step Instructions.

1) Prepare the ingredients. Peel and thinly slice the onions, wash and chop the carrots and celery. Remove any fat from the meat and cut it into medium sized chunks. Finally, wash and chop the parsley.

2) Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Fry the carrots and celery together for a couple of minutes, then add the onions and continue cooking for another couple of minutes, stirring continuously.

3) 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 don’t)

4) Cover the pot and cook over a medium-low heat 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. 

5) After 3 hours of cooking, 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. 

6) 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 do) 

Finish and serve.

7) Put a large 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 candele, 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.

8) When the ziti is cooked, save a cup of pasta water and drain. If your beef and onion ragù seems dry, add some of the pasta cooking water and stir. Add the pasta to the sauce and mix together carefully. I transferred the sauce from my Dutch oven to a wider pan before mixing it with the pasta.

Serve immediately with more chopped parsley and some grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Cook it long and slow!

The true secret of pasta with la Genovese ragu is the long and very slow cooking of the ragu. This is the only way to get the classic brown colour of the sauce, onions that are almost like jam and meat that will melt in your mouth. Obviously, every Neapolitan family has its own recipe with slightly different quantities and ingredients.

Different versions of pasta alla Genovese.

I have come across versions of this beef and onion ragù that are cooked for 5 hours and some for 2! Others include different herbs, other types of meat and also tomatoes or tomato paste. I made it without tomatoes. Traditionally, Genovese sauce is supposed to be a ‘white’ sauce.

This recipe doesn’t normally require broth or water as the onions create a lot of liquid. But, if your sauce is drying out, add some beef stock or water.

I have to say this beef ragu was one of the best I have ever eaten! It's so worth the time it takes to make. I have eaten it in Naples and, obviously made it myself! Of course, this is not a dish you can cook any day of the week. It has a long cooking time. But, it's perfect for Sunday lunches and special occasions. I hope you’ll give it a try!

Let me know what you think.

If you do try this pasta alla Genovese recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. Please write a comment here on the blog or post a comment on the Pasta Project Facebook page.

Your feedback means a lot to me!

Buon Appetito!

Don't forget to pin for later!

Other slow-cooked pasta sauce recipes.

1. Braised pork ribs with pasta from Emilia-Romagna
2. Venison ragù from Trentino-Alto Adige
3. Oxtail ragù from Rome.
4. Tuscan wild boar ragù
5. Sicilian braised veal and onions with maltagliati
6. Slow-cooked beef cheek ragu.

Have a look at these other authentic Neapolitan pasta recipes for more delicious pasta recipes from Naples like this one!