Neapolitan onion and beef ragù with pasta (Pasta alla genovese)

1. Halve the onions and slice them into thin half-moons; finely chop the carrot and celery and cut the beef shoulder into 4-5 large pieces.

2. In a large heavy-based pan, brown the meat on all sides in the olive oil for 5-6 minutes, then add the carrot and celery and fry for another 3 minutes.

3. Pile in all the onions, add the bay leaves, season with salt and cook covered over very low heat for 3 hours; stir often at first - the onions cook in their own juices, no water is added.

4. When the onions have collapsed into a soft golden cream, remove the lid, pour in the white wine and cook for another 20-30 minutes until the wine has evaporated and the sauce is thick and amber-coloured; shred the meat with a fork and season with pepper.

5. Break the ziti in half, cook them al dente in plenty of salted water, drain and toss with the onion ragù and a little cooking water.

6. Serve with plenty of grated parmesan.

Tip: Despite its name, this is a Neapolitan dish, not a Genoese one - there's no tomato, and all its flavour comes from the natural sweetness of long, slow-cooked onions, so don't rush it.