Pasta alla Genovese

Caramelized onions and tender beef melt into a silky, deeply savory sauce that's nothing like tomato-based pasta dishes. Hours of slow cooking transform simple aromatics and meat into pure umami gold, finished with fresh thyme. Make this when you want restaurant-quality comfort food that fills your home with incredible aromas—perfect for special dinners or meal prep.

Ingredients

2 lbs beef shanks

2 lbs chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes

4 oz medium-diced pancetta

6 large yellow onions, julienned (about 5 lbs)

2 carrots, peeled and finely minced

2 ribs celery, finely minced

2 tbsp tomato paste

6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme

15 to 20 basil leaves, torn

10 to 12 cherry tomatoes, hand-crushed

2 cups dry white wine

1 cup beef stock

Coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano for garnish

1 lb long ziti, broken, or rigatoni

Instructions

Pat the meat dry on all sides on a sheet tray or platter. Season well with salt and pepper and set aside. For a deeper crust, place the seasoned meat on a rack and leave uncovered in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Add the pancetta to a large Dutch oven over low to medium heat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until crispy and the fat is rendered. Set the lardons aside.

Turn the heat to high and sear the beef untouched for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and turn the heat to medium. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until well-browned.

Set the beef aside. Add half the julienned onions, season with salt, and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes. Turn the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well-browned.

Add the carrots and celery and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until it turns a rust color.

Add the beef, cooked pancetta, thyme, 10 to 12 torn basil leaves, cherry tomatoes, and white wine. Cook until about ½ cup of liquid remains, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Cover everything with the remaining julienned onions and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine.

Place a lid on the pot and cook over low heat for 3 hours, stirring every 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for 1 more hour. Add more beef stock if it looks dry.

Break up the beef so it shreds apart and incorporates into the sauce. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water for 75% of the recommended cook time.

Strain the pasta and add it to a large saucier pan along with 1 cup of pasta water, plenty of the Genovese sauce, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and the remaining basil leaves. Cook over low heat to finish cooking the pasta.