Pasta Alla Genovese

Ingredients 

1 1/2 pounds (700g) boneless beef chuck roast

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 

2 carrots, peeled and cut into small dice 

1 celery rib trimmed and cut into small dice

2-3 yellow onions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup dry white wine

1 bay leaf

1 pound ziti, paccheri, or rigatoni

1 loosely packed cup (1/2 ounce; 15g) fresh parsley leaves and tender stems, finely chopped

Finely grated Pecorino Romano for serving


Method

  1. Sear. Season the beef lightly with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to a large, heavy bottomed pot (like a Dutch Oven). Preheat over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add beef and brown each side for 2 minutes per side.

  2. Remove beef and set aside on a plate. Add carrots, celery, and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the pan

  3. Hour 1. Turn heat to low. Add beef and onions to pot with about an inch of water. Cover pot and let cook on low heat for 1 hour.

  4. Hour 2. Shift around beef and stir around the onions as well. You’ll notice the onions will still look quite raw. Don’t worry! Re-cover your pot and let cook for another hour over low heat.

  5. Hour 3. Do the same process of shifting around the meat and onions. Add celery and carrots. Re-cover and let cook for another hour over low heat.

  6. Hour 4. Add bay leaf (if you’d like optional, just make sure it is covered in the sauce) and a ½ cup wine. Simmer on medium-low heat, uncovered, for 1 hour.

  7. Hour 5. Cut meat. Use a fork and knife to remove beef from pot, place on a plate, and cut into small pieces (pieces about half of what would be considered bite-sized pieces). The beef likely won’t shred at this point; but you can start trying to shred it a bit as you place it back in the pot.Place beef pieces back into pot. Add final ½ cup of wine and tomato paste. 

  8. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour on low heat. Stir occasionally.

  9. Hour 6. Remove bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Over medium heat, cook for 40-50 more minutes (uncovered), until beef is shredded and the sauce is reduced. Sauce is done when the beef is shredded and the sauce no longer looks like a soup, but there’s a decent amount of liquid left for a moist, beautiful sauce.