Neapolitan Genovese, grandma’s recipe for the famous Neapolitan white ragù with onions,
a sauce you can use to make the traditional pasta alla genovese (Neapolitan pasta with white onion-and-meat ragù), a rich and enveloping first course perfect for Sunday lunch.
Many of us know the Ragù alla bolognese; in Sicily we make a Sicilian meat ragù with peas, and you can prepare many kinds of white ragù to make recipes such as pistachio lasagna with white ragù or pumpkin lasagna with white ragù and béchamel. But do you know Neapolitan meat Genovese? The Neapolitan meat Genovese is a true grandmother’s recipe and a classic of Italian cuisine, comparable to the famous amatriciana sauce. Some equate Genovese with ragù, but in reality it is more generally a hearty meat sauce, different from the traditional red sauce, since it is cooked ‘in bianco’ (white); like ragù, however, it is perfect for coating hearty pasta dishes.
The Neapolitan Genovese sauce is a distinctive condiment, unrelated to the famous city that inspired its name: it is obtained by overcooking the meat with lots of onions and a chopped mix of celery and carrots until you obtain a delicious shredded meat purée, very creamy and flavorful. Almost a white ragù, but not quite — perfect for uniquely coating pasta or for filling the famous Neapolitan cuzzetiello made with homemade country bread.
Would you like to make grandma’s Neapolitan Genovese recipe too? Then follow me in the kitchen: this Campanian recipe — as much a part of the region as sfogliatella frolla, sfogliatella riccia and casatiello — will win you over. Before we start cooking, remember that if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page and my Instagram profile.
Also check out these traditional Campanian recipes:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: sauce for 10 servings of pasta
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make Neapolitan Genovese
- 2 2/3 lb beef (shank)
- 6 1/4 cups white onions (about 6 medium onions, chopped)
- 2 stalks celery
- 2 medium carrots
- as needed extra virgin olive oil
- 1 glass white wine
- as needed salt
- 1 bunch parsley
- 2 leaves bay leaves
Tools
- Pots
- Wooden spoons
Preparation of Neapolitan Genovese
To make the Neapolitan Genovese sauce, start by peeling, rinsing and slicing the onions. Then peel the celery and carrots and dice them to make a chopped mirepoix. Set aside a few celery leaves.
Gather all the vegetables in a heavy-bottomed pot and add a generous drizzle of oil. Let them soften over medium heat until the onions have reduced somewhat in volume.
Add the meat in pieces, season with salt, stir, and add the aromatic bundle of celery leaves, bay leaves and parsley tied together (you will remove it at the end of cooking).
Put the lid on the pot, reduce the heat to the minimum using the smallest burner and cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, stirring from time to time. During cooking you should not add water — both the meat and the onions will release theirs. After about 3 1/2 hours, the meat will be tender and will tend to shred easily when stirred: remove the lid and pour in the white wine. Let it evaporate over high heat, cooking and allowing the sauce to reduce, taking care to turn the meat to prevent burning. Once you have a thick, full-bodied sauce, grandma’s Neapolitan Genovese is ready to dress pasta, especially wonderful ziti, preferably from Gragnano.
Storage notes and tips
Neapolitan meat Genovese can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days in an airtight container. Freezing is not recommended, to avoid the meat becoming stringy.
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