Despite its name, pasta alla Genovese is a traditional dish of Neapolitan cuisine. The dish, also referred to simply as la Genovese, is characterized by its white sauce made from onions and beef, and it is commonly used to dress pasta, particularly ziti or mezzane.
The true origin of Pasta alla Genovese is surrounded by various theories, many of which dismiss the idea that it comes from Genoa. The most popular, but far from being certain, is that it was brought to Naples by anonymous Genoese cooks working in the port city between the 14th and 15th centuries. Curiously, though, the dish is unknown in Genoa despite its name. Another plausible theory is that the name “Genovese” could refer to its creator, as Genovese is a common surname in the Campania region. Another option still suggests that during the Aragonese era (15th century), many eateries near the port served this popular dish to Genoese sailors who frequented the area.
However, a more credible hypothesis suggests that the dish’s name might be linked to Swiss mercenaries from the Geneva region, who were present in Naples during the period when the first traces of the recipe appeared: these mercenaries’ cuisine heavily featured onions, which could explain the dish’s primary ingredient and its name derived from the word Geneva or its French equivalent, Genève.
The earliest mention of a recipe similar to pasta alla Genovese is found in the Liber de Coquina, one of the first cookbooks of the Latin West, written in Naples between the 13th and 14th centuries. It describes a stew of onions with chicken or other meats and grated cheese, used to dress Tria Ianuensis (Genoese pasta). This connection would suggest, then, that pasta alla Genovese is one of the oldest pasta sauces still in use today in Italian culinary tradition.
The confusion around the name “Genovese” extends to the dish’s development over centuries: In the 19th century, alla Genovese and alla Napoletana both referred to meat sauces used in pasta dishes. However, these terms began to diverge as the recipes evolved, with the Genovese sauce focused increasingly on onions, while the Neapolitan ragù incorporated tomatoes and pork, distinguishing the two further.
The primary ingredients of our recipe include beef, a large quantity of onions, carrots, celery, white wine, and extra virgin olive oil. The dish typically uses cuts of beef suitable for long, slow cooking, such as eye round or other tougher cuts that become tender over time. Onions play a crucial role, often using varieties like the Montoro onion, known for their sweetness and aroma.
The preparation involves slowly cooking the beef and onions together until they create a creamy, fragrant sauce: carrots and celery are sautéed in olive oil, then the meat is added and browned. The dish is deglazed with white wine, and onions are added to cook slowly, sometimes for several hours. This long cooking process allows the onions to break down completely, creating a rich, flavorful sauce used to dress pasta like ziti or broken maccheroni being among the favorite. The pasta absorbs the strong flavors of the sauce, making for a hearty and satisfying meal.
Some variations of the recipe might include a small amount of tomato or milk towards the end to adjust the texture and flavor, but traditionally, la Genovese is a tomato-less “white” sauce.
Pasta alla Genovese is the demonstration of how humble ingredients can be transformed into culinary pleasures, and a perfect embodiment of Italy’s cucina povera, the tradition of creating remarkable dishes from simple, everyday ingredients.
After all this talking, I got hungry and I think it may be nice to try and make Pasta alla Genovese together! Here’s a (try and tested by yours truly!) version of the traditional recipe taken from La Cucina Italiana. Let us know how it turns out!
Ingredients (for four people)
- 6 ½cups of golden onions, sliced
- 3 ½ cups of beef, diced
- 320 grams (about 2 cups) of ziti pasta (you can go for 400 grams, if you are really hungry!)
- ½ cup of dry white wine
- ½ cup of chopped celery
- ½ cup of chopped carrot
- A couple of bay leaves
- Some parsley
- Parmigiano Reggiano or caciocavallo (grated, to taste)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
Step 1
For a traditional Pasta alla Genovese, start by thinly slicing the onions and finely chopping the celery and carrots for the soffritto. Reserve the celery leaves for the aromatic bundle. Cook the celery, carrots, and onions with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. After 8 minutes, add a pinch of salt and the aromatic bundle made from the celery leaves, a sprig of parsley, and a bay leaf tied together with kitchen twine.
Step 2
Cut the beef into pieces and add it to the vegetables. Sear the meat for 2 minutes, then let everything cook together for 2 hours. The onions will release their water, so no additional liquid is needed. After 2 hours, add the white wine and cook for another hour. By the end, the meat will be very tender. Shred the meat, using half to dress the pasta and the other half for sandwiches.
Step 3
Break the ziti into thirds, ensuring they are neither too short nor too long. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water, drain it, and then add it to the pan with the onion sauce. Mix well and distribute the pasta onto plates. Top with the shredded meat, grated cheese, and black pepper.
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