Pasta alla Genovese

Ingredients

• 1kg beef shin or chuck, in one piece
• 1.8kg white or golden onions
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stick
• 150ml dry white wine
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 50g pancetta or prosciutto trimmings
• 500g candele spezzate, ziti or paccheri
• 80g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
• 80g Pecorino Romano, grated
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Before you cook

• Peel the onions and slice them thinly, which is a long job best done with a mandoline or a very sharp knife
• Dice the carrot and celery small
• Tie the beef loosely with kitchen string so it holds its shape
• Chop the pancetta finely

Steps

1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat.
2. Brown the beef on all sides for about 10 minutes until it has a deep crust, then lift it onto a plate.
3. Lower the heat and add the chopped pancetta, carrot and celery to the pot.
4. Cook the vegetables for 5 minutes until softened.
5. Pile all the sliced onions into the pot, which will look like far too many.
6. Season the onions with salt, return the beef to the pot and press the onions down around it.
7. Cover the pot tightly and cook over the lowest possible heat for 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes.
8. Check that the onions have released enough liquid to keep everything moist, adding a splash of water only if the bottom threatens to catch.
9. Take the lid off and continue cooking for another 2 hours, stirring more often as the liquid reduces.
10. Pour in the white wine once the onions have turned honey-coloured and let it evaporate.
11. Keep cooking until the onions have collapsed into a thick amber cream and the beef pulls apart under a fork.
12. Lift out the beef, remove the string and shred about a third of the meat back into the sauce.
13. Season the sauce with salt and plenty of black pepper.
14. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until al dente.
15. Drain the pasta and toss it in the pot with the onion ragù and a splash of cooking water.
16. Stir in half the Parmigiano and half the Pecorino.
17. Serve the pasta with the rest of the cheese, and bring the remaining beef to the table as a second course.