La Genovese Recipes

PASTA ALLA GENOVESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the onions in the boiling water, and cook, covered, 15 minutes. Drain the onions, and let cool a bit, then slice very thinly.
• Heat half the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat; stir in the carrots, celery and bacon, and cook for 4 minutes. Add the beef, then cover with the onions. Pour the remaining oil over the onions, then sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover, bring to a simmer and cook gently until the beef is tender, about 2 hours; the onions will release a good deal of liquid.
• Uncover the pot and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring more frequently as the liquid reduces and lowering the heat as necessary to prevent scorching, until the meat has fallen apart and the sauce is creamy, about 45 minutes. Stir in the wine and taste, adding more wine if desired. Reduce the heat to low, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is glossy and quite thick, about 15 minutes more.
• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, then drain and toss with the sauce. Stir in Parmesan to taste, then serve.

GENOVESE SAUCE - LA GENOVESE NAPOLETANA

Steps:

• Prepare all the vegetables (see notes on cutting the onions) and sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper.
• Add the olive oil to a large pot on a medium-low heat and add the onions, carrot and celery. Saute the onions for 10 minutes then add the beef, bay and parsley.
• Let the beef brown on all sides, you'll need to stir the mixture around slightly so the beef touches the bottom of the pot.
• Cover the pot and let it slowly cook for 3 hours stirring every now and then to make sure it doesn't stick.
• After 3 hours remove the lid and add the white wine. Continue to simmer the ragu on a medium-low heat for another hour.
• Once done taste and add more salt to taste then toss with cooked and drained pasta of choice.

PESTO ALLA GENOVESE

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, salt, and pepper and process for a few seconds until the basil is chopped. Add the cheese, pine nuts, and garlic and, while the processor is running, add the oil in a thin, steady stream until a mostly smooth sauce is formed. Transfer pesto to a bowl and set aside. (Note: Pesto may be made 1 day in advance and kept, refrigerated, in an airtight container, until ready to use. If making in advance, be sure to cover the top of the pesto with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent the pesto from darkening. Pesto may also be frozen in the same manner in small quantities for use at a later date.)
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, according to package directions, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. In a large bowl, toss pasta with pesto. Add a little of the reserved cooking liquid if pasta seems to dry. Serve immediately.

LA GENOVESE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Cook beef, stirring to break up clumps, until it begins to brown. Stir in carrots, onion, salt and pepper. Continue to stir and cook until vegetables begin to soften and meat juices run clear, 5 minutes. Pour in wine and cook one minute more. Serve.

LA GENOVESE

Steps:

• With a mezzaluna or a very sharp knife, mince the salt pork, salame, and prosciutto to a fine paste. In a terra-cotta or enameled cast-iron casserole-just large enough to hold the beef and its accessories-warm the olive oil over a medium flame and soften the paste in it.
• Pat the beef dry with absorbent paper towels and brown it in the fragrant fat, crusting it well on all sides-a process that takes at least 10 minutes. Remove the now deeply crusted beef to a holding plate.
• Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot, rolling them about in the fat, softening them without coloring them. Add the tomato puree, the sea salt, and the wine, stirring, scraping at the residue in the pan and letting the sauce simmer gently for 1 minute before returning the beef to the pot.
• Cover the casserole tightly and, over a low flame, braise the beef, its liquids barely simmering, for 2 1/2 hours.
• When the beef is fork-tender, it is properly cooked. Should it require longer braising, add a few tablespoonfuls more of wine, replace the lid, and let the whole continue to cook for 20 to 30 minutes more. Permit the dish a 1/2 hour's repose. I would never think to strain the sauce of all the lush debris remaining from the aromatics, the salame, and the prosciutto. I suppose, though, a classic Swiss cook might think to improve it by straining it. I'd hope for his sake that he might spread the resultant paste on a heft of warm toast and eat it for his own private lunch. Should you wish to precede its presentation with pasta, see the instructions on page 71.

RIGATONI ALLA GENOVESE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook pancetta until most of fat is rendered out, about 6 minutes. Remove cooked pancetta with a slotted spoon and save.
• Raise heat to high and transfer meat to the pot. Season with salt. Cook and stir until liquid releases from beef and begins to evaporate, and meat browns, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium-high. Add celery, carrots, reserved cooked pancetta, salt and pepper. Cook and stir about 5 minutes. Add a heaping tablespoon of tomato paste, bay leaf, and white wine. Cook and stir, scraping up the brownings from the bottom of the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Add sliced onions. Reduce heat to medium. Cover pot and cook 30 minutes without stirring. After 30 minutes, stir onions and meat until well mixed. Cover again, and cook another 30 minutes. Stir.
• Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered 8 to 10 hours, stirring occasionally. Skim off fat as mixture cooks. If sauce seems to reduce too much, add water or broth as needed to maintain a sauce-like consistency. Cook until beef and onions seem to melt into each other.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until just barely al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain.
• Add rigatoni to the sauce and cook until heated through. Serve topped with a pinch of marjoram and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

SPAGHETTI GENOVESE

Steps:

• Pour a kettle of boiling water into a very large pan until half full. Return to the boil, then add the potatoes and spaghetti, and a little salt. Cook for 10 minutes until the potatoes and pasta are almost tender. Tip in the green beans and cook for 5 minutes more.
• Drain well, reserving 4 tbsp of the cooking liquid. Return the potatoes, pasta and beans to the pan, then stir in the fresh pesto and reserved cooking liquid. Season to taste, divide between four serving plates and drizzle with a little olive oil.