Paccheri Alla Genovese Recipe

Brown the beef

Pat the beef pieces dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, brown the beef on all sides until well caramelized (3–4 minutes per side). Transfer browned beef to a plate and set aside.

Build the braise

Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter to the pot. Add the diced carrot and celery and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute to deepen its flavor. Pour in the white wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits, and simmer until reduced by half (about 4–6 minutes).

Braise

Return the beef to the pot. Add beef stock, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and cracked pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and transfer to a preheated oven at 150°C (300°F) OR keep on very low stove-simmer. Cook slowly until the meat is tender and shreds easily with a fork, 2.5–3 hours. Check every hour and add a little more stock if the liquid drops too low. Remove bay leaves and thyme stems; shred meat with two forks and set aside with 2–3 tablespoons of braising liquid reserved.

Sweat the onions

While the beef braises during the last 60–90 minutes, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large deep sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the thinly sliced onions, a pinch of salt, and the smashed garlic. Cook very slowly, stirring occasionally, so the onions become translucent and then begin to break down and sweeten—this takes 45–60 minutes. If the onions start to brown too quickly, reduce heat. The goal is soft, silky, lightly caramelized onions but not deeply browned.

Finish the onion sauce

Once the onions are soft and sweet, tuck in the shredded braised beef and stir to combine. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved braising liquid and 1 tablespoon of olive oil; simmer together for 8–10 minutes so flavors marry and excess liquid reduces. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper. If mixture seems too loose, simmer a few minutes longer; if too dry, add another tablespoon of reserved liquid.

Cook the paccheri

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add the coarse salt, and cook paccheri until just shy of al dente per package instructions (usually 10–12 minutes for dried paccheri). Stir gently to prevent sticking. Reserve 250 ml of pasta cooking water before draining.

Finish pasta with sauce: Return the drained pasta to the pot or a large skillet over low heat. Add the onion-and-beef mixture and 150 ml of reserved pasta water. Toss gently to coat, adding more cooking water a tablespoon at a time until the sauce clings to the paccheri and reaches a silky consistency (about 2–3 minutes). Remove from heat.

Add cheese and finish: Stir in most of the grated Pecorino (reserve 2 tablespoons for serving) and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Toss until cheese melts into the sauce, creating a creamy coating. Adjust seasoning with black pepper and a pinch of salt if needed.

Serve: Divide paccheri among 4 plates, spoon additional onion-and-beef over each portion, and sprinkle remaining Pecorino on top. Drizzle lightly with extra-virgin olive oil and grind fresh black pepper to taste.