Rigatoni alla Genovese

Ingredients

• 1 lb rigatoni
• 3 lbs onions (yes, 3 lbs), thinly sliced
• 1.5 lbs beef chuck or pork shoulder, cut into large chunks
• 2 carrots, medium dice
• 2 celery stalks, medium dice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper
• Parmesan for serving

Method

1. Heat: Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Brown meat on all sides. Remove.

2. Add: Add all the onions, carrots, celery, and a big pinch of salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 3–4 hours. The onions will go from raw → translucent → golden → deeply caramelized → melted into a sweet, jammy sauce.

3. Add: Add wine, scrape the bottom. Return meat. Cook 30 min more until meat shreds.

4. Step: Shred meat into the onion sauce. Toss with rigatoni and pasta water. Top with Parmesan.

What You're Practicing

• This is a patience dish. 3 lbs of onions reduce to about 2 cups of intensely sweet sauce.
• The Maillard reaction on the onions over hours creates hundreds of flavor compounds.
• This is Naples' answer to Bologna's ragù — no tomato, just onions and time.