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La Genovese napoletana

Naples & Campania · No.33 / 103

La Genovese napoletana

La Genovese napoletana, 4 ways

A tomato-free white meat sauce made by simmering beef and a large amount of onion together over low heat for hours, nothing else. Despite the name, it isn't from Genoa at all but from Naples, and its origin is disputed with no settled account. Schools of thought diverge sharply on the cut and amount of meat, the quantity of onion, the simmering time, and which pasta to serve it with (zite, candele, or paccheri).

GialloZafferano Vincenzo's Plate Max Mariola Italia Squisita
280 min · Difficulty ●●●○○ · 4videos

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GialloZafferanoItaly's largest recipe media outlet (founded 2006, now under Mondadori) Source verified

600g beef and 1.5kg onion, simmered 4 hours with no added water

  • Ties celery leaves, parsley, and bay leaf into a "mazzetto odoroso" (aromatic bundle) and removes it after 3 hours — a careful, home-cooking touch to aromatics
  • The official FAQ explicitly states no water or stock is added at all — the dish simmers 4 hours purely on the moisture from the onions
  • A two-stage wine structure: white wine is added gradually in the second half of cooking, after the pan is uncovered
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In the chef’s words
  • No need to add water or stock — the onions release the moisture the dish needs source
  • The 4-hour simmer shouldn't be shortened, since it's what makes the meat tender and well-seasoned source

References: [1]

Vincenzo's PlateItalian-born, Sydney-based YouTube channel Source verified

Double meat of beef and pork, soffritto blended smooth

  • A distinctive touch of blending the soffritto smooth in a food processor so "kids won't even notice there are vegetables in it"
  • A double-meat construction adding pork rashers (belly) alongside beef
  • States outright that red wine absolutely does not work here, explicitly ruling out anything but white
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In the chef’s words
  • Red wine absolutely does not suit this dish, so never substitute it source
  • You need at least 1.3kg of onion — you shouldn't use less source

References: [1]

Max MariolaRome-born professional chef and TV personality (Gambero Rosso Channel). In 2026 he moved with his family to Bali, Indonesia, and handed over all but one of his restaurants Partly unverified

2kg of beef from two cuts plus 30g lard, no added water or wine

  • Uses no chunk of pork at all — beef only, with just 30g of lard to add richness
  • Repeatedly states in the video that "all the liquid in the pot comes only from the onion and the meat — no water or wine is added at all"
  • Suggests paccheri as an alternative to the traditional zite
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In the chef’s words
  • All the liquid in the pot comes from the onion and the meat — no water or wine is added source
  • This amount will feed you for 3 days source

References: [1]

Italia SquisitaItalian food media channel featuring Michelin-starred and well-known chefs Partly unverified

Five cuts of beef and pork plus apple, pine nuts, and raisins — a restaurant-grade version

  • A restaurant-grade construction using five cuts total — three of beef and two of pork
  • Ingredient sourcing built around origin, down to specifying 4kg of Montoro IGP onion
  • Adds Annurca apple, pine nuts, raisins, and Piennolo cherry tomatoes — a layer of sweetness, acidity, and texture absent from the home-style genovese
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References: [1]

Compared on 9 axes

Figures are transcribed as written in each video or recipe page

AXIS GialloZafferano Vincenzo's Plate Max Mariola Italia Squisita
Pasta type and amount Zite, 320g, serves 4Ziti, 300g (any amount is fine). Can substitute penne/rigatoniZiti spezzati (hand-broken) or paccheri, 200g, labeled serves 2Candele from Gragnano, 500g, serves 5
Cut and amount of meat Beef (gilet/magatello/lacerto), 600g, cut into 5 piecesBeef chuck steak 600g + pork rashers (belly) 300gBeef campanello (shank) 1kg + beef copertina (chuck) 1kg3 beef cuts (gammoncello, tracchia, shoulder for braciole, 250g each) + 2 pork cuts (gallinella 250g, tracchia 200g), 1250g total
Amount and type of onion Yellow onion, 1.5kg, slicedBrown onion, at least 1.3kg (red onion can substitute; white/yellow noted to give a milder result)Onion (not red), 2kgMontoro IGP onion, 4kg
Fat used Extra virgin olive oil (amount given only as "plenty")EVOO (3 tbsp for the soffritto, plus more)Lard 30g + EVOO 2 tbspEVOO (quantity to taste)
Use of white wine White wine, 150g, added gradually during the final hourWhite wine, about 150ml/1 glass (explicitly states red wine does not work)None used (states no water either)White wine (dry, quantity to taste)
Simmering time and process 3 hours covered + 1 hour uncovered = 4 hours total4 hours covered (stirring every 30 min) + 2 hours uncovered = 6 hours totalNot specified (only described as "slow and gentle")Not specified (specific time not confirmed in transcript)
Additional ingredients 75g celery, 75g carrot, a bunch of parsley, a bay leaf tied into an aromatic bundle4 bay leaves. Soffritto of carrot, celery, and 1/4 onion blended smoothNot specified100g carrot, 100g celery, 1 Annurca apple, bay leaf, basil, 250g Piennolo cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, raisins
Finishing cheese Parmigiano-Reggiano (to taste)Pecorino RomanoNot specifiedPecorino Romano and grana blend
Time required 30 minutes prep + 250 minutes cooking = 280 minutes totalAbout 6 hours cooking + boiling and finishing, roughly 6.5 hours totalNot specified (only mentions "this will feed you for 3 days")Not specified
Source check Source verifiedSource verifiedPartly unverifiedPartly unverified
GialloZafferano 600g beef and 1.5kg onion, simmered 4 hours with no added water
Pasta type and amount
Zite, 320g, serves 4
Cut and amount of meat
Beef (gilet/magatello/lacerto), 600g, cut into 5 pieces
Amount and type of onion
Yellow onion, 1.5kg, sliced
Fat used
Extra virgin olive oil (amount given only as "plenty")
Use of white wine
White wine, 150g, added gradually during the final hour
Simmering time and process
3 hours covered + 1 hour uncovered = 4 hours total
Additional ingredients
75g celery, 75g carrot, a bunch of parsley, a bay leaf tied into an aromatic bundle
Finishing cheese
Parmigiano-Reggiano (to taste)
Time required
30 minutes prep + 250 minutes cooking = 280 minutes total
Source
Source verified
Vincenzo's Plate Double meat of beef and pork, soffritto blended smooth
Pasta type and amount
Ziti, 300g (any amount is fine). Can substitute penne/rigatoni
Cut and amount of meat
Beef chuck steak 600g + pork rashers (belly) 300g
Amount and type of onion
Brown onion, at least 1.3kg (red onion can substitute; white/yellow noted to give a milder result)
Fat used
EVOO (3 tbsp for the soffritto, plus more)
Use of white wine
White wine, about 150ml/1 glass (explicitly states red wine does not work)
Simmering time and process
4 hours covered (stirring every 30 min) + 2 hours uncovered = 6 hours total
Additional ingredients
4 bay leaves. Soffritto of carrot, celery, and 1/4 onion blended smooth
Finishing cheese
Pecorino Romano
Time required
About 6 hours cooking + boiling and finishing, roughly 6.5 hours total
Source
Source verified
Max Mariola 2kg of beef from two cuts plus 30g lard, no added water or wine
Pasta type and amount
Ziti spezzati (hand-broken) or paccheri, 200g, labeled serves 2
Cut and amount of meat
Beef campanello (shank) 1kg + beef copertina (chuck) 1kg
Amount and type of onion
Onion (not red), 2kg
Fat used
Lard 30g + EVOO 2 tbsp
Use of white wine
None used (states no water either)
Simmering time and process
Not specified (only described as "slow and gentle")
Additional ingredients
Not specified
Finishing cheese
Not specified
Time required
Not specified (only mentions "this will feed you for 3 days")
Source
Partly unverified
Italia Squisita Five cuts of beef and pork plus apple, pine nuts, and raisins — a restaurant-grade version
Pasta type and amount
Candele from Gragnano, 500g, serves 5
Cut and amount of meat
3 beef cuts (gammoncello, tracchia, shoulder for braciole, 250g each) + 2 pork cuts (gallinella 250g, tracchia 200g), 1250g total
Amount and type of onion
Montoro IGP onion, 4kg
Fat used
EVOO (quantity to taste)
Use of white wine
White wine (dry, quantity to taste)
Simmering time and process
Not specified (specific time not confirmed in transcript)
Additional ingredients
100g carrot, 100g celery, 1 Annurca apple, bay leaf, basil, 250g Piennolo cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, raisins
Finishing cheese
Pecorino Romano and grana blend
Time required
Not specified
Source
Partly unverified

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1 Pasta & boiling Brand, thickness, salt, water volume, cooking time
2 Base Fat and the main ingredient: rendering, infusing
3 Sauce & emulsion Where you toss, heat level, how much pasta water
4 Finish Cheese, pepper, finishing oil, plating

The map of schools: where the heat is managed

For La Genovese napoletana, the fork in the road is how you emulsify and heat

Toss over direct heat

The pan stays on the flame and your hands manage the temperature. Fast, but it takes feel.

  • No styles here

Indirect heat

Bain-marie, steam, double boiler or a hand blender. Repeatable, at the cost of one extra step.

Off the heat

Emulsify after killing the flame, or in a bowl with only the pasta’s residual heat. Hard to get wrong.

What to serve after this

In an Italian meal the primo (pasta) is followed by a secondo (main course)

Naples & Campania 90 min

Parmigiana di melanzane

Parmigiana di melanzane

A southern Italian vegetable dish of fried eggplant layered with tomato sauce and cheeses such as mozzarella, then baked. It is registered on Italy's Ministry of Agriculture list of traditional foods as a specialty of Calabria, Campania, Puglia and Sicily. The name's origin is debated: some dictionaries explain it as "Parma-style," meaning vegetables cooked layered, while others trace it to Parmigiano.

Pairs with: Pasta al Limone / Pesto alla trapanese / Orecchiette con le cime di rapa

The regions align as both are Neapolitan dishes. Genovese is an onion sauce made without tomato, so its flavor doesn't overlap with tomato-forward parmigiana, a classic sequence on a Neapolitan table.

Naples & Campania 75 min

Polpette al sugo

Polpette al sugo

A Neapolitan home-style dish of meatballs made from mixed ground beef and pork, hiding pine nuts and raisins inside, dusted with flour, fried, and then simmered in tomato sauce. Tucking pine nuts and raisins into the center is the distinctive Neapolitan touch, and the sauce the meat is simmered in is also used to dress pasta.

Pairs with: Ragù napoletano / La Genovese napoletana / Spaghetti alla puttanesca

Another Neapolitan Sunday family dish. It shares with the polpette a structure where the sauce drawn out from meat goes onto the pasta first, and the meat itself comes out later on its own plate.

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