Pasta alla Genovese

We saw a recipe for Pasta alla Genovese by Mark Bittman in the New York Times.

We made it a really liked it. My father wouldn't have liked it, it has no tomatoes! That makes it perfect for winter time. The 4-½ pounds of Red Onions makes the sauce a little sweet. It is a winner. This is a recipe we will make again. Try it!

INGREDIENTS

4 ¼ pounds red onions

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 celery rib, trimmed and roughly chopped

¼ pound bacon or pancetta, chopped

2 ¼ pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup dry white wine, plus more if desired

1 pound dried pasta, like ziti, tortiglioni or rigatoni

Finely grated Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION

1.   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.

2.   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.

3.   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.

4.   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.