Pasta e Cipolle (Pasta Goves)
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Pasta e Cipolle (Pasta Goves)

👤 4 servings medium 🌍 Italian youtube.com ↗

This Italian classic from Laura in the Kitchen is often compared to French onion soup but in pasta form, featuring tender pasta coated in a rich, caramelized onion and beef sauce that has simmered for hours. The dish showcases the beauty of simple ingredients—ground beef, onions, carrots, and pasta—transformed through patient cooking into something deeply flavorful and comforting. It's a beloved family recipe that varies from household to household, and Laura shares her mother's cherished version that will make you fall in love with this timeless dish.

PastaBeefSlow-Cooked

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 4 yellow onions
  • salt
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 0.5 cup white wine
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 canned plum tomatoes
  • 1 lb pasta (rigatoni or penne)
  • 3 tbsp fresh parsley
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese
  • black pepper
  • 1 cup pasta cooking water

Instructions

  1. Brown the ground beef very well in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the sliced yellow onions and a good pinch of salt to the browned beef. The salt will draw out moisture from the onions and help them cook down.
  3. Cook the onions for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften and start to caramelize slightly.
  4. Add the diced carrots (and celery if using) to the pot.
  5. Pour in a splash of white wine and let it cook out for about a minute to balance the sweetness.
  6. Add the water (or stock if preferred) to the pot. Stir well and season with salt to taste.
  7. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. The mixture should reduce significantly and become very flavorful.
  8. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water until very al dente (slightly undercooked). Reserve about 1 cup of starchy pasta cooking water before draining.
  9. Add the al dente pasta to the simmering sauce along with some of the reserved pasta water.
  10. Add the chopped fresh parsley and a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan cheese to the pasta and sauce.
  11. Add a few grindings of black pepper and stir everything together.
  12. Let the pasta cook with the sauce for 2-3 minutes until it reaches the desired doneness and the sauce thickens and coats the pasta beautifully.
  13. Turn off the heat and let it sit for a couple of minutes to absorb all the flavors.
  14. Serve in bowls with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley on top.

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