Fettuccine with Genovese Sauce (Fettuccine with Smothered Onions)

Fettuccine col Sugo di Cipolle (Salsa Genovese)

Fettuccine with Smothered Onions

(Adapted from a recipe in Marcella Hazan’s More Classic Italian Cooking, 1978)

        This essentially reproduces a dish much enjoyed at the restaurant Da Gemma in Amalfi in April 2002.  In Hazan’s recipe I have substituted fettuccine for spaghetti and added the beef extract to give a slightly meatier flavor.  In fact, the extract can be omitted to yield an entirely vegetarian dish.  An interesting discussion of the historical origins of Genovese sauce (La Genovese) is found in Naples at Table by Arthur Schwarz (1998).

(Serves four to six.)  

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1-1/2 pounds onions, sliced very thin (about 6 cups)

Freshly ground black pepper; salt to taste

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon beef extract, such as Better Than Bouillon (low salt)   

3/4 pound of fettuccine (best, but spaghetti or linguine work also)

1.  Put the olive oil and onions into a large saute pan, cover, and cook over low heat for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. (The onions should soften and reduce in bulk.)  

2.  Uncover the pan, increase the heat to medium, and cook the onion until it becomes a deep, brownish gold.  (This takes a while, but do NOT caramelize the onions.)  

3.  Add salt and pepper to taste and then add the wine and the beef extract.  Cook until the wine has largely boiled away, stirring constantly.  Finally, add the parsley, stir, and the sauce is essentially done.  (Turn off the heat, but keep it warm.)  

4.  Meanwhile, you should have cooked the pasta until al dente in salted boiling water.  Drain the pasta and add it to the onions (or vice versa), and toss well over low heat.  Add the Parmesan cheese and toss again thoroughly.

5.  Serve immediately in warmed pasta bowls, passing additional grated cheese if desired.