TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Paccheri alla GenovesePaccheri with Neapolitan Genovese Sauce
A traditional Neapolitan sauce in which 1kg onions melt over low heat for more than 3 hours and absorb the savory flavor of beef. A dish of Campania, unrelated to Genoa.
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- Paccheri320 g
- OnionsThinly sliced, about 2mm thick.1000 g
- Beef brisket or shoulderUse as a large joint; do not cut into small pieces.600 g
- Lardo (cured pork back fat)Finely chop, then melt in the pot.80 g
- White wine150 ml
- Parmigiano ReggianoGrate over at the end.60 g
- Coarse salt10g/L in the pasta cooking water.5 g
Method
Melt the lardo
- 1 Finely chop 80g lardo into a heavy pot at least 24cm in diameter and melt completely over low heat for 5–6 minutes.
Add the onions to the lardo
- 1 Meanwhile(While the lardo melts) Slice 1000g onions about 2mm thick.
- 2 Once the lardo has completely melted, add all the onions.
- 3 Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and mix gently with a wooden spatula.
Soften the onions and release their moisture
- 1 Cover and leave over low heat for 30 minutes.
- 2 If there is too little moisture, add 50ml water.
Ready when
Wait until the onions are translucent and substantially reduced in volume.
Braise the beef
- 1 Meanwhile(While the lardo and onions cook covered) Begin boiling water in a large pot, with 10g salt per 1L water.
- 2 Nestle the whole 600g beef brisket into the center of the onions.
- 3 Add 150ml white wine, cover and braise over low heat for 90 minutes.
- 4 Check every 30 minutes and add 50ml water if the pot is too dry.
Shred the beef
- 1 Remove the beef from the pot and use 2 forks to shred it along the grain.
Finish the genovese sauce
- 1 Check that the onions have become an amber-to-brown paste.
- 2 If too wet, leave uncovered over medium heat for 5–10 minutes to evaporate the excess liquid.
- 3 Return the shredded beef, season with salt and turn off the heat.
Cook the paccheri
- 1 Add 320g paccheri to the prepared boiling salted water and cook al dente, 1 minute less than the package time.
- 2 Reserve 200ml cooking water.
Coat the paccheri in sauce
- 1 Reheat the sauce over medium heat and add the al dente paccheri.
- 2 Toss with the sauce for 2 minutes, adding cooking water 1 tbsp at a time, until evenly coated.
Add cheese and serve
- 1 Plate, top with about 15g grated Parmigiano Reggiano per serving and serve.
About this dish
Naples has a sauce called genovese. It has no connection to Genoa. The origin of its name remains mysterious: theories suggest Genoese merchants brought it, or Genoese cooks working in Neapolitan kitchens created it, but none is conclusive. Many Neapolitans say they know nothing about Genoa, but this sauce belongs to them.
It is one of the pinnacles of Neapolitan regional cooking: 1kg onions slowly melted over low heat for more than 3 hours and infused with beef brisket’s savory flavor. Without tomatoes or water, the onions cook in their own moisture, turning beyond amber to brown as sugars and amino acids react to create unmatched depth.
In Neapolitan households, mothers or grandmothers prepare the onions on Saturday night for Sunday lunch. This dish stands at the opposite pole from hurry.
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