I’ve got to tell you that this weekend, I had the best pasta at the Fallsview Food and Drink Fest in Niagara Falls. It was made by the one and only Rocco Dispirito! What a talented, entertaining and all-around lovely chef! He’s just as nice in person as he is on television! What a pleasure and a treat!
I got to see him make Pasta Genovese, a classic Neapolitan dish. The ragù was perfectly balanced, fragrant and oh so flavourful. It was made with the simplest of ingredients - equal parts beef and onion, which were braised to perfection in a good dose (or two) of white wine and beef stock. The beautifully cooked paccheri pasta was then tossed into the ragù before being topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Talk about a perfect and swoon worthy bite! It just melts in your mouth!
The Pasta Genovese was incredibly delicious and I haven’t stopped thinking about it! So much so, that I had to get a second fill and attempted to recreate it at home. Here is my rendition of Rocco’s swoon worthy pasta dish! I hope that this recipe does it justice! Buon appetito!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 190 minutes
Total Time: 205 minutes
Serves: 8 - 10
Ingredients:
2.5 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes (See Notes below)
5 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 lb pancetta, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2.5 lbs yellow onions (approx. 6 medium onions), finely chopped and divided (See Notes below)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 sprig of rosemary, stem removed and the needles finely chopped (approx. 1/2 tsp)
3/4 cup dry white wine, divided
2 cups beef stock
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 lb or 454g paccheri, rigatoni or penne pasta, uncooked (See Notes below)
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Finely chopped parsley leaves and freshly grated parmesan cheese, as garnish
Instructions:
Prepping the Meat: While you are getting all your ingredients ready for this dish, remove the beef and pancetta from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Pat the beef dry with a paper towel, removing any excess moisture, to allow for even searing.
Finely chop the pancetta, transfer it to a small bowl and set aside.
Cut the beef into 1 inch cubes and transfer it to a large plate. Evenly season the beef with 1 tsp salt and pepper and give it a good toss to ensure that the seasoning is incorporated throughout. Set aside.
Searing the Beef: To a large stockpot or dutch oven, set over medium-high heat, add 2 Tbsp of oil and 1/2 of the beef and sear the meat on all sides for a total of 8 minutes or until the meat has browned and has a crispy exterior. Transfer the beef to a large bowl and set aside. Repeat the process with another 2 Tbsp of oil and the remaining beef.
Cooking the Pancetta: To the same stockpot, add 1 Tbsp of oil and the pancetta. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pot and transfer it to a small bowl and set aside.
Creating the Genovese Ragù: Add the chopped celery, carrots and 3 cups of onions to the stockpot and season it with the remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Stir and sauté for 12 minutes or until the vegetables have softened and are slightly caramelized. Mix in the tomato paste and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Then, toss in the garlic and rosemary, stir and cook for another minute.
To deglaze the pot, pour in 1/2 cup of wine. Using a large spoon or spatula give it a good stir, while scrapping the bottom of the pot to release any caramelized bits.
Transfer the beef and pancetta back into the stockpot with the remaining onions. Add in the beef stock and reduce the heat to medium-low. Give the mixture a final stir and cover the pot or dutch oven with a lid. Cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Remove the lid and cook the ragù for another 20 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of wine, stir and cook for another 15 minutes. At this point, your ragù should be slightly reduced and the beef fall-apart tender. Turn off the heat, add the grated parmesan cheese and mix until combined.
Cooking the Pasta: Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente, in accordance with package instructions, or to your desired level of doneness.
Assembly of the Dish: While the pasta is cooking, add 1/2 of the ragù to a large skillet or saucepan set over low heat.
Drain the pasta with a colander or fine meshed strainer and transfer it directly into the skillet or saucepan. Then, toss in 1 Tbsp of butter, give it a good mix and cook for an additional minute to allow the pasta to finish cooking and for the flavours to meld.
Remove the skillet or saucepan from the heat and garnish the pasta with more freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Serve and enjoy! Buon appetito!
Notes:
Prepping the Protein: You want to give the beef and pancetta ample time to come to room temperature prior to cooking. This will lead to a more even and quicker cook. Cooking cold meat will result in uneven cooking and yield a longer cook time.
Searing the Beef: If you are pressed for time, you can skip this step. But, I highly recommend searing the beef as it adds a ton of rich and caramelized flavour to this dish. Do so in 2 instalments as this will allow for even browning and prevents steaming of the meat. To effectively sear, let the beef brown on one side for a few minutes before flipping. Resist the urge to stir! The beef will tell you when its ready to be flipped by releasing from the pan without any resistance.
Caramelized and Raw Onions: Divide the chopped onions into 2 bowls - add 3 cups to a medium bowl and the remaining onions to a large bowl. The first batch, or 3 cups, will be added to the celery and carrot mixture and cooked down until soft and slightly caramelized. The remaining onions will be added to the ragù raw. This will lend additional flavour to the dish and the raw onions will release liquid during the cooking process, adding more substance to the braising liquid.
Choosing your Pasta: Paccheri pasta is traditionally used in this dish but if you can’t find it, then you can simply substitute it with rigatoni or penne pasta. I had a ton of penne on hand so I used it in this recipe.
Leftover Ragù: This recipe produces enough Genovese ragù to feed a crowd or leaves you with delicious leftovers. In this recipe, I use 1 lb of pasta, cook it to order and toss it with 1/2 of the ragù, reserving the remainder of the ragù for a meal the following day. It’s the gift that keeps on giving! But, if you’re feeding or entertaining a crowd, simply double the pasta used in this recipe to 2 lbs, cook it to order, and toss it with all the ragù and 2 Tbsp of butter. Serve and enjoy!