The Noble White Ragù: Neapolitan Genovese

An ode to slowness and precision, Genovese is the ultimate expression of transforming a few ingredients into a sumptuous and enveloping sauce. The secret lies in the gelatinization of the onions and the slow extraction of the meat's juices, resulting in a sauce with a savory, sweet, and lingering flavor.

Technical Data Sheet

• Dish: Noble First Course / Dressing
• Preparation time: 15 minutes
• Cooking Time: 4 hours
• Difficulty Level: Medium (Requires Patience)
• Servings: 4 people

Essential Ingredients

• Beef: 600g Topside (first choice whole cut)
• Onions: 1.5 kg (Montoro or golden onions)
• Sauté: 1 stick of celery, 1 small carrot
• Cooking Base: 2 glasses of Dry White Wine
• Oil: Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Pasta: 320g Ziti or Rigatoni
• Finish: Fine sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, parsley and bay leaves

Procedure

Start with the preparation: finely chop the carrot and celery. Thinly slice the onions and divide the topside into steaks. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the minced meat mixture. Seal the meat and then reduce the heat to low, adding salt, pepper, and chopped parsley. The bay leaf should be left whole.

Cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally. After 2-3 hours, add the white wine and continue cooking until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency. Cook the pasta as usual, season with the ragù, and stir in some grated cheese.

Wine pairings

To pair with the Genovese, the recommended red wines from Campania are those with a nice freshness and not too much tannin, so as not to clash with the complexity of the onion sauce. Examples include Piedirosso, Pallagrello Nero, and Aglianico Campano from less structured grape varieties.

Conservation Notes

The cooled sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days or frozen in portions for about 6 months.